The new Pretty Woman? This wild caper about a stripper and a shady high-roller is far cleverer, BRIAN VINER writes By Brian Viner Published: 02:03, 1 November 2024 | Updated: 02:03, 1 November 2024 e-mail View comments Anora (18, 139 mins) Verdict: Hilarious and touching Rating: Heretic (15, 110 mins) Verdict: Classy horror-thriller Rating: Small Things Like These (12A, 98 mins) Verdict: - Pitch-perfect adaptation Rating: Every so often, and I grant it doesn’t happen much, a bunch of terrific new films all come along at the same time. They’re like those proverbial London buses, arriving in convoy just when you were beginning to think you might never see one again. Anyway, this week’s releases are a counterblast to the complaint that we film critics hear constantly, as if we were responsible, that there’s never anything in the cinema worth watching.
Just the usual dispiriting diet of feeble sequels and superhero nonsense, you say; and sometimes it’s hard to disagree. But not today. In fact there might be more stars on these pages than I’ve ever dished out in a single week, starting with the full complement for the fabulous Anora, which deservedly won the coveted Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival .
This image released by Neon shows Mark Eydelshteyn, left, and Mikey Madison in a scene from 'Anora' Mikey Madison in a scene from 'Anora' - a funny, sad, touching, energetic, relevant, altogether engrossing tale of a bright, spirited ‘erotic dancer’ W.
