In 1990 we had Pretty Woman, but nowadays we have Anora. Hello guys, be welcome to my new movie post. I went to see Anora last month and thought about other movies like it you don’t want to miss.
“There's some butter in the kitchen.” – Marlon Brando as Paul in Last Tango in Paris (1972)
Glad to be back after more than a month, be welcome to my first movie post since last December and my first of this 2025.
I went to see Anora last month and really liked it. It occurred to me later to write a post about it and other movies like this one. But first, let’s talk a bit about Anora.
Anora (2024)
This movie caught my attention from the moment I saw the poster and later the trailer. It is basically the Cinderella story, but with a few twists and a sad ending; in 1990 we had Pretty Woman, but nowadays we have Anora. Ani, a young stripper/prostitute from Brooklyn meets one day while stripping a young stupid client with money to burn, his name is Vanya, the son of a Russian billionaire oligarch. This Vanya contracts Ani for a week and one day, while in Las Vegas, they decide to get married. Ani thinks she has solved all of her life problems. But things will go bad for her as the Russian’s parents find out about the marriage and to make matters worse they send a priest and two goons to crush Ani’s life plans.
Anora won the Palme d'Or in 2024, and it’s the first American film to do so since Terrence Malick’s masterpiece The Tree of Life of 2011. The movie deals with themes of prostitution, drugs, religion, corruption and, everyday life in New York City’s strip clubs. It was made on a $ 6 million budget, and has made more than three times that amount. The opening shot, where you can hear a rework of Take That’s Greatest Day, is just amazing. The whole atmosphere of strip clubs, friendships and rivalries are really well-portrayed by director Sean Baker. It has its sad parts but others are really funny and people couldn’t stop laughing at the theater.
Check trailer:
ANORA - Official Redband Trailer
If you haven’t seen it, I strongly recommend you to do so. It has caused a little controversy and has been accused of being a misogynistic movie. But don’t pay attention to those woke naysayers and enjoy a great work of art that deals with themes that we, as a society, don’t like to be reminded of.
So, whether you’d like to see beautiful shots of New York City, want to listen to great soundtracks, want to know more about the prostitution business, or you just care to see people fucking, the five movies below are works you cannot miss.
Without further ado, let’s begin:
5 – Last Tango in Paris (1972)
This is the story of an American widower who starts a secret affair with a young Parisian woman. They get together in an apartment to have unrestricted sex and they don’t know anything about each other, not even their names. Their lives in the outside world will continue as usual but things will take a major turn when the man wants to take things further.
A movie that caused a severe controversy around the world at the moment of its premiere in 1972. Director Bernardo Bertolucci and both actors Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider were given order of capture in several countries; also the infamous and improvised “butter scene” caused such an uproar that it’s still talked about these days. Nevertheless, Last Tango in Paris is an excellent story about eroticism and deception; it was a box office success, and it’s one of Bernardo Bertolucci’s best movies ever, and certainly my favorite.
Beautiful lightning by Italian master cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, and nice soundtrack courtesy of Argentine jazz musician Gato Barbieri, who infused the atmosphere with great smoky sax pieces. Marlon Brando gave an impressive performance as the mourning American expat and owner of a little hotel, and this was one of the movies that made him relevant again after a decade of successive flops. I love also how the Parisian life of back then was captured here. So, don’t miss this gem of 1970s cinema, I guarantee you will love it.
Watch the trailer here:
Last Tango in Paris (1972) ORIGINAL TRAILER
4 – Requiem for a Dream (2000)
The lives of four people from Coney Island, a Jewish junkie, his mother, his beautiful girlfriend, and his black friend, set this story in motion where addictions take a major place. They all want to thrive and get ahead in a materialistic society that only cares about results. But their dreams will be shattered when they have to face the harsh reality of the situations they’re stuck in. Delusion, perversions, and suffering are at the end the only things available to them.
I remember the controversy around this movie at the moment of its release. It was something shocking and vulgar for some, but held as a great work of art by others. It is director Darren Aronofsky’s masterpiece, and received critical acclaims and many award nominations. It has a great cinematography and is also remembered for its editing, particularly those quick, intense, shots of people taking drugs.
This was one of Jared Leto’s early performances that put him and the beautiful Jennifer Connelly in consideration of a wider public after many years as secondary actors. But it is actress Ellen Burstyn, born in 1932 and owner of a legendary film career, the one that gives the most impressive performance here as the TV addict Jewish yenta, mother of a junkie. She was nominated for a plethora of awards, including an Oscar, and her performance has been praised as one of the best of this century. It is also worth mentioning that this movie can boast of having a killer music theme, which is Lux Aeterna, an orchestral composition by English musician Clint Mansell that fits perfectly as the leitmotif of this story.
This movie features nudity, addiction, corruption, and one of the most disturbing montages ever put on film. So, be discreet but be sure to enjoy a great work of art.
Check trailer here:
Requiem for a Dream (2000) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers
3 – Princesas (2005)
After almost getting into a fight, two prostitutes form a special friendship while their everyday lives continue with its hardships, sorrows, secrets, and some happy moments. Caye, a young woman from Madrid, keeps a secret life as a prostitute when by chances of fate she meets the exotic Zulema, a Dominican who entered illegally to Spain and is constantly extorted by a corrupt police officer. Together, they help each other to survive the dangerous line of work they’re in. When Zulema discovers she has contracted a terrible disease and Caye sees her other secret “normal” life crush into pieces, they will have to decide what they will do with their lives.
Spain is the number one country in the world for sex tourism. After the death of Dictator Francisco Franco and the return of democracy, certain social norms were relaxed, and now people go and swim naked at beaches, and women take their tops off in public parks. Also, drugs and prostitution are rampant in that country.
Princesas is a movie I discovered in 2006 when I went to festival of international films. I really liked it a lot, and while it may not bring anything new to the table it’s a movie that is worth watching for its pace, story, dialogues and settings. It is also one of the best movies of this 21st century that captures the dangerous business of prostitution. Director Fernando León de Aranoa did a fine job here, and the movie received nine nominations for the prestigious Goya awards wining three, including one for the actress who played the troubled Caye.
Don’t miss this piece of cinema made outside of the Hollywood system, and check the trailer here:
Princesas - Trailer
2 – Taxi Driver (1976)
This cult classic starts when a Vietnam War veteran named Travis Bickle takes a job as a night shift taxi driver to cope with his insomnia. He will see all kinds of shocking things while in his cab, all of which will fuel his urge for violent action. After getting rejected by a beautiful but commonplace woman, his loneliness will lead him to plan the assassination of a political figure; but when this fails he will set himself to rescue a young teenage prostitute from the clutches of her pimp.
Taxi Driver won the Palme d'Or in 1976 and was nominated for four Academy Awards. It solidified Martin Scorsese as one of the best directors of all time, and has since become a cult classic with a strong fan base. Robert De Niro did a superb performance as the psychopathic Travis Bickle and created one of the most memorable characters in cinema history; he also delivered some of the best quotes ever (“You talking' to me?”). This movie was boost for both Harvey Keitel and a 14 year old Jodie Foster who even received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
The movie has been criticized by the depiction of a teenage prostitute and its graphic violence. But in overall is considered one of the greatest films ever made, and a film I’m proud to count between my favorites. It was made with a budget of just $1.9 million, with a script by the legendary Paul Schrader; it also boast of having a great cinematography where the use of reds was predominant. The soundtrack and its unforgettable sax main theme was composed by Bernard Herrmann and finished just hours before his death.
I think I don’t have to say more about this masterpiece, check trailer:
TAXI DRIVER [1976] - Official Trailer (HD)
1 – Boogie Nights (1997)
It’s the 1970s in the San Fernando Valley and a young and naïve Eddie Adams wants to make it big, but in the meantime he works as a dishwasher at a night club. Opportunity presents for him when a legendary director of porn movies chooses him for his next movie. The kid changes his name to Dirk Diggler and with that will come along a life of excess, drugs, sex, parties, music, fast cars, you name it. When the 1980s arrive, the reckless life Dirk Diggler has been living will bring his downfall.
I was lucky enough to have watched this movie on the big screen at the moment of its release. It was one of the greatest experiences I have ever had inside a movie theater. I remember people couldn’t stop laughing and feeling mesmerized by what they were seeing; at the end, people in the parking lot were still talking about it.
Boogie Nights received 3 Oscar nominations and won a lot of other awards. It marked a somewhat comeback for the seasoned Burt Reynolds, gave Julianne Moore more exposure, and launched the career of Mark Wahlberg as an A-List movie star. The story was loosely based on porn star John Holmes and the infamous Wonderland incident. Made on a $15 million budget, the movie has a great cinematography, a very efficient production design, and a killer soundtrack in which Night Ranger’s Sister Christian stands out. But it was also very criticized for its profanity, drugs, and graphic sex scenes. Since the moment of its release it has become a cult classic that made director Paul Thomas Anderson one of the best of his generation, and now it’s considered as of the best films of all time.
So, if you haven’t seen Boogie Nights yet, what are you doing with your life? Anyway, be sure to watch it soon and check the trailer here:
Boogie Nights (1997) Official Trailer #1 - Paul Thomas Anderson Movie
Conclusion
There you have it, guys, this has been my take on movies like Anora. I hope you watch them soon, and if you have watched them before, let me know what you think of them the comment section.
Which one caught your attention the most? Which one do you plan to watch first? Have you seen Anora already? I’ll be waiting for your answers.
Since you’re here, check now 5 great movies with Natalie Portman:
@thereadingman/cinetv-contest-my-favorite-natalie
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(Image at the beginning, via: indiewire.com)
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Until Next Time
Take care
Orlando Caine.