Sean Baker's Oscar-winning "Anora" presents a peculiar paradox of contemporary cinema: a film celebrated for its supposed boundary-pushing that ultimately offers little beyond its taboo subject matter. At 139 minutes, Baker's tale of a sex worker who briefly marries into Russian wealth before facing brutal rejection stretches a thin premise far beyond its natural breaking point.

Mikey Madison delivers a performance of remarkable depth, finding nuanced humanity in a character that the screenplay itself seems uninterested in fully exploring. Her work transcends the material, suggesting emotion... read the rest.