The eagerly- awaited 97th Academy Awards ceremony rolls out the red carpet tonight (March 2) at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and already film fans are speculating who will bag the final Oscar of the night for Best Picture.
After Oppenheimer’s previous win, where it edged out Barbie for the same award as well as other accolades, this year presents another fierce battle. Ten nominees, including Anora, The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, and Dune: Part Two, vie for the top honor.
Competing alongside those are Emilia Perez, I’m Still Here, Nickel Boys, The Substance, and not forgetting Wicked. This year has Anora emerging as the critics’ darling, favored heavily by odds-makers and movie buffs alike.
Vogue’s film critic agrees with that thinking weighing in: “Of the 10 films in contention, RaMell Ross’ epic and intimate Nickel Boys would be the worthiest victor in my eyes, but sadly it has absolutely no chance of winning. This race is now primarily between Conclave, which scooped the top honors at the BAFTAs and SAGs, and feels like a centrist, consensus pick, and Anora.”
Seth continues to dissect the competition, stating: “Conclave could easily upset, but this currently feels like Anora’s to lose.” Anora features Mikey Madison as Ani, a young Brooklynite poised for a Cinderella existence following her marriage to an oligarch’s son.
However, the fairytale threatens to unravel as news of their romance reaches Russian shores, jeopardizing her happily ever after with looming annulment clouds.
Over on Reddit, a puzzled movie buff expressed their bewilderment at the buzz surrounding Sean Baker’s romantic comedy. “This sub [subreddit] seems to love Anora, I keep seeing it on people’s top 5 of the year, best overall of the year, etc. But they added: “I love Sean Baker’s previous movies. But I was so disappointed that Anora felt like more of a overly drawn-out comedy sketch with a few notes of drama.”
The Redditor lamented the film’s lack of depth, adding: “We never really dive into who Anora is, what she wants – it all felt so shallow. Things happen, but what was the point? Often movies with no point are character studies. I was hoping it would be similar to these just vibes/character studies that Baker has done before, but it was missing any depth or complexity or surprise. I was so let down.”
They concluded with a plea for insight: “I wanna know genuinely – why do you love it? How is it making the top of peoples’ list?” The community was divided in response, but one fan who appreciated the film offered their perspective: “I really think Mikey Madison’s charisma really pulled the whole thing together. I also really enjoyed the three acts feeling so distinct, Act 1 is the fantasy of the romance, Act 2 is this high octane dramedy, and Act 3 is sitting with the aftermath. The structure felt very much like it was enforcing how whirlwind romances that end badly feel.”
A second Reddit user chimed in with their praise, stating: “100% this. I loved that the movie could take me with Ani’s high highs and low lows. As much as I think a full-blown out character study film of her, I think this movie said just enough with a very well-crafted structure. It reminded me of EEAAO with the three acts. Those whirlwind stories usually hit the most too. I loved the way it ended. The rawness of the silence. Such an enjoyable combination of a movie.”
Meanwhile, another viewer shared their admiration for the film’s emotional range, commenting: “I love it because it pulls emotions of happiness, suspense, sadness all in one movie. It made me laugh a lot and it made me tear up at the end. Very few movies have that capability with me. I find Bakers transitions to be very well done causing the film to be very immersive and smooth.”
On the flip side, not everyone was enamored with the film, particularly its attempt at humor. One critic pointed out: “I cannot find any comedy in this film. I perhaps chuckled once or twice but people are calling this a full on comedy, and to me it’s like categorizing The Bear as a comedy. There are funny moments, but if this is meant to be a comedy, it’s lost on me.”
Another detractor expressed disappointment, saying: “I don’t understand the hype at all. I ended up giving it 3 stars, and might give it another chance. After all the intimacy coordinator stuff, and the general weirdness of Sean Baker and his presence on social media, it soured on me even more.”
Whilst a third person declared: “I don’t get it either. Not because I think it needs to be anything more than it is – it’s a fun mediocre comedy and that’s fine – but I don’t understand the acclaim at all. And quite frankly, I don’t have any desire to know any more about the characters that what we were already shown on screen.”
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