Posted on 02/24/2025 10:59:14 AM PST by CondoleezzaProtege
Anora, a young sex worker from Brooklyn, gets a life-changing opportunity when she is proposed to by the son of a Russian oligarch. However, as soon as the news reaches the family of the groom, the parents will do whatever is necessary to obtain an annulment.
These past years, I have witnessed the industry’s obsession with sex-related content. If your film has very explicit scenes, your chances to have award nominations of all kinds double. That would explain the overwhelming success of Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things in award ceremonies last year.
While Anora is not even half as creepy and perverse, the sexual scenes are everywhere. In fact, one of the first things we see on screen at the beginning of the movie is the protagonist’s naked body, while she tends to one of her clients. The focus is on sexualizing the actress as much as possible, in a very unsubtle and classless way.
Mikey Madison’s performance has earned her the label of “revelation” in the press. For her breakthrough role, she spends several scenes fully or partially naked, performing sexual acts, and swearing repeatedly.
She does not seem to be a bad actress. In the few scenes where she is not having sex or swearing, as brief as they are, I saw more acting range than in many of the trendy young actors of the moment. Maybe with a decent script, she could do great things. But roles such as this don’t allow her to showcase her capacity.
I don’t recommend this film; I suppose you have expected as much. It’s pointless, too long, and unnecessarily explicit. Some might praise the direction or some technical aspects, but personally, I’m sick of giving a pass to films that border on pornography. I’m sick of paying a ticket to get flashed.
(Excerpt) Read more at themoviegreyhound.com ...
The director clearly has a fixation with sex work and sex workers, and both he and the cast have made it a point to use their platform to honor and claim their “ally”ship with “the sex worker community” throughout the awards season run, culminating in last night.
All I know is behind the scenes this the kind of thing (see below) talented actresses have to deal with, and those not “artistically” on board especially at the beginning of their careers, do not get baptized into the system and risk losing their anointing.
Ruth Wilson left The Affair because of ‘too many sex scenes’
Most Art is bad by definition. The exceptional work is always in the minority.
People seem to be judging the film in the context of comments made at awards shows. Seen on its own, the film is vivid portrait of a time, place and milieux. The first act shows these women plying their trade because to not show it would be dishonest. It does not glorify the nature of the work. The story is initiated by the title character deluding herself into thinking one of her customers actually cares about her. Either that or she sees a sham marriage as a way out. The result is tragic.
No glorified is not the word. If anything it’s being sanctified as some sort of sacrificial work, like being a soldier or something.
I’m not against all films with nudity in them, but the nature of what’s being asked of actors to portray in films like this and the Brutalist also - the rigamarole reasoning of viewers like you, is just cover for a deeper symptom of how desensitized and pornified mainstream culture has become.
“Nudity is not like murder and violence on the screen. That is make-believe. Nobody really gets killed. But nudity is not make believe. These actresses are really naked in front of the camera, doing exactly what the director says to do with their legs and their hands and their breasts, and they are standing there and they are naked there in front of millions of people for the world to see.” - J. Piper
I’m not desensitized to it. It does not sanctify it either. It’s shown as fairly ugly, minimally compensated blue collar work. That’s why the titular character is so either to get out.
“eager”
Yes that’s the excuse used to indulge in showcasing all the bodies otherwise. Pretty Woman it is not. Which to be fair is a rom com and some realist social statement, but at least did not have to exploit an actress(es) and actors for that matter under the guise of art.
Sex work harms the clients too, if not more, and kills marriages and families and futures. And watching content like this — men and women viewers being treated in full view to other the naked bodies of those who are NOT their spouses, actors re-enacting sex but “just not going all the way” — collectively is doing something to their souls too no matter how much they try to weasel out and justify it as noble for the sake of story.
Yes that’s the excuse used to indulge in showcasing all the bodies otherwise. Pretty Woman it is not. Which to be fair is a rom com and *not* some realist social statement...Typo.
It’s the anti-”Pretty Woman”, that film romanticized prostitution and tacked on a fairy tale ending.
More typo corrections:
Yes that’s the excuse used to indulge in showcasing all the bodies otherwise. Pretty Woman it is not. Which to be fair is a rom com and not* some realist social statement, but at least did not have to exploit an actress(es) and actors for that matter under the guise of art.
Sex work harms the clients too, if not more, and kills marriages and families and futures. And watching content like this — male and female viewers, young and old alike, being treated to live views of naked bodies of those who are NOT their spouses — actors re-enacting sex but “just not going all the way” — collectively is doing something to their souls too no matter how much they try to weasel out and justify it as noble for the sake of story.
btw apparently the director demonstrated the various sexual activities for the actors by simulating them with his wife.
Right and an intimacy coordinator was not needed either. Keep excusing away
So now standing at the gateways to p*rn is basically seen as kosher and rewarded, just because it’s not going all the way and it’s making some sort of statement of how sad the workers are. *eyeroll*
Will leave it there. We can agree to disagree.
Have you seen the film?
Honestly, I’ve never visited a sex worker. I don’t know any sex workers. While my libertarian views on sex workers lean towards “freedom” to sell yourself…I don’t care enough about them to watch a movie about the subject.
I think the interesting aspect of the movie is how cheaply it was produced. Good for those people. Indie films will save Hollywood.
It’s not about sex workers per se - it just has one as the main character. It’s a madcap dark screwball comedy.
And Bill Clinton said oral sex isn’t sex.
That view was widely held in America at the beginning of the 20th century.
My grandparents passed it on in my family.
This elevation of actors, athletes, and so-called journalists is a fairly recent development.
I might add that an earlier generation's general opinion of lawyers was very low as well.
If you want to know what was the majority opinion of so-called journalists was, then watch "The Front Page" or even better its reincarnation as His Girl Friday.
I still can't believe Aaron Rogers was demonized for his clot shot take when pretty boys like Tom Brady and Stephen Curry never took a hit for pimping the FTX ponzi scheme.
Not a big fan of Charles Barkley but he spoke the truth, "When he said I'm not anybody's role model nor do I want to be".
I am somewhat optimistic that after a few decades folk are starting to view these "celebrities" in a realistic light.
Finding a place on the world wide stage does not mean they got there with the common sense that prevails among us folk of the unwashed masses.
Enrico Caruso was a huge star at the turn of the century.
Actually, I’d like to add another post. Quotes from a google review by J.Caroll
“Hollywood will put out—plying these young girls with awards for their ‘performance.’ This film will no doubt be pushed for an Oscar nomination. Hence keeping the pipeline of young naked actresses lining up for the 50+ year old producers like Sean Baker who relish creating their ‘art’ with the ambitious....hmmm sounds like Yorgos and Poor Things all over again....”
“Hopefully Madison or anyone who cares for her might protect this young actress from the 50+ year old creeps who come calling looking for her to play a stripper—call 911 next time! Women will get roles in Hollywood that do not require them to work a pole when they start saying NO THANK YOU to the old men enjoying the view.”
“Anora means Honor in Latin—this movie does not deserve one.”
Again you haven’t seen the film. It got a rave review from Breitbart btw
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