Anora

As brazen and unapologetic as many of Baker’s characters are… There is a desperation and a dependency on others that Ani refuses to let define her.

It's absolutely breathless in terms of its energy.

I know you won’t believe it’s as good as everyone is saying it is until you hear it from me so here you are: yes, it’s as good as everyone is saying it is.

At its core it’s a romantic dramedy that’s gotten a lot of comparisons to Pretty Woman, though it seems even more spiritually akin to Federico Fellini’s Nights of Cabiria.

A fairy tale — or at least a version of one — shatters into a million tiny pieces in "Anora"...

“Anora” isn’t a fairy tale that plays by the rules of Prince Charmings and happy endings. Instead, it thankfully explores something more real: people just trying to get through the day with some sense of hope and human connection.

I was so close to giving up on the film during its excruciating opening thirty minutes, which I found dull, grating, and gratuitous. I'm so glad I stuck it out for one of the most profound, heartbreaking, and touching conclusions I’ve seen this year.

Anora isn’t a Cinderella story, it's a story of one woman refusing to be shamed for making her way through an inhospitable and inequitable world.

An incisive glimpse into characters on the margins, it overflows with impulsive rage and propulsive chaos, without an easy path to sympathy or empowerment.

It's a wild ride through Brooklyn that entertains and thrills in equal measure. Madison is truly a force of nature when it comes to standing her ground—even if her footing simply can't compete with that of those pushing her around.