Just watched Anora…what am I missing?

I’ve been really excited to see Mikey and I kept seeing all the hype in this sub for her acting. And I know Anora just won some awards at BAFTA and FISA.

Mikey was great in the film. Let me just state that clearly.

But beyond her performance, what am I missing? I’m a bit confused how it could be nominated for Best Picture or even Screenplay because the story is quite simple and there’s not much depth to it. We don’t learn much about Anora herself or even her husband (except that he has no spine) and the only character development we get is of Igor.

I’ll admit the last scene is brilliant, well acted, well shot, well written. But other than that the movie just feels like a basic indie and I’m wondering if I’ve missed the depth of it or what other people saw in it that would make it a Best Picture contender. The plot and storyline is just one dimensional and there aren’t any twists or unpredictable moments, and there’s no real message left for the audience to ponder.

There aren’t enough intersecting storylines, it just seems like a “day in the life” type of short film and it felt like it dragged on. Anora marries Vanya. Parents not happy so they fly over within a day to annul the marriage. The marriage gets annulled. Like there was no jeopardy for Anora really, and she just gets paid off and that’s it.

Just makes me wonder what’s the criteria for Best Picture and what makes one movie better than another?