Anora

Anora, directed by Sean Baker (The Florida Project), is the first American film to win the Palme d'Or in over a decade. It is also on most lists of likely Best Picture award nominees and on all early top ten lists for the year.

I was initially excited to see what the famed director would do with a love story or perhaps discover how he'd merge his authentic storytelling with something more widely commercial. My reaction to the film in one word is — disappointment. My fault for reading headlines noting that this was a love story with screwball comedy thrown in. It has neither.

This "modern Cinderella story" revolves around the relationship between Brooklyn stripper Anora/Ani (Mikey Madison) and Vanya, the heir to a Russian fortune. I never felt any romantic connection or otherwise.

Baker has always excelled at portraying fully-developed characters on society’s margins, but here the story feels like a well-worn template. Anora’s journey—her relationship with the wealthy Vanya, her struggles and the eventual fallout—feels less like an exploration of the American Dream and more like a recycled version of narratives we've seen before. By making its titular character a stripper, everything is all too familiar. Swap Vanya's Russian parents with drug dealers and you've essentially got Hustlers or Zola.

I think what Baker is attempting to explore is the joy and despair of someone from the fringes who briefly tastes success only to lose it all. There’s an important theme about the fragility of dreaming big, but it doesn’t quite come through with the depth or nuance that Baker’s best work usually has. Unfortunately, I think he just made a raunchy and sad remake of Pretty Woman.

In a nutshell: Anora isn’t a bad film—it just doesn’t live up to the potential that its premise and director suggested and it's not a lot of fun so I can't recommend it.

Where to see it: In theaters now.

Would it be better with Olivia Colman: Wouldn't anything?

Award potential: I'm in the minority on this one, look for it in every major category. Mikey Madison's last scene is a heartbreaker.

The Ten Buck Review: Not worth ten bucks.

A Real Pain

Writer, director, and star Jesse Eisenberg teams up with (an outstanding) Kieran Culkin to craft a character-driven flick about mismatched cousins, neurotic David and charismatic Benji, as they trudge through Poland on a “Holocaust tour” to honor their grandmother’s memory.

What starts as a “cringe comedy” road trip film soon reveals itself to be a lighthearted exploration of grief, identity and connecting. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

Culkin shines as Benji, infusing him with enough warmth and complexity to make even the dark moments feel alive and relatable. Eisenberg’s script is super sharp, balancing banter with authentic laughs. 

The dynamic between the cousins is so real and dysfunctional that you’ll swear you’ve been on a trip with them in a past life.

A Real Pain isn’t going to excite many cinemagoers to leave their couch on a Friday night, but that’s precisely the point. It’s a throwback to the days of small-scale, character-driven films (Woody Allen, Rob Reiner) that Hollywood has mostly sidelined.

 Eisenberg has crafted a lovable little movie that’s witty, melancholic, and full of heart—perfect for those who appreciate a little laughter with their emotional introspection.

Simply put: At a perfect little 90 minutes, it’s an endearingly awkward journey worth taking.

Where to watch: In theaters starting November 11, 2024.

 

Would it be better with Olivia Colman? Absolutely.

 

Award Potential: Culkin is likely to get some awards attention, but Eisenberg is just as impressive in a subtler but arguably trickier role. I imagine showier films will be in discussion by January.

 

The Ten Buck Reiview: Worth Ten Bucks