Sean Baker’s Brilliant Anora Tops the Michael Patterson’s Survey

He calls it The Professionals. Michael Patterson who is a great person and a loyal friend has done his annual survey of the films seen at Telluride. It isn’t surprising that Sean Baker’s Anora, among my favorites of the year if not my favorite, tops the list. It is an unpredictable ride that takes us inside the mind and heart of a complicated young woman navigating her personal and professional life. With a bravura lead performance by the great Mikey Madison, Anora burrowed its way into my heart and hasn’t left since I saw it. I am fairly sure she is the frontrunner to win Best Actress. But there are still films to see. Hers will be hard to top.

To me, Anora is the film that cashes the check on all of Sean Baker’s earlier films. They all hint at this kind of greatness but Anora brings them all together. LOVED it.

Here is what Patterson wrote:
Here we go…ratings from The Professionals of the films from TFF #51.  Some standards:   industry professionals agreed to rate the films they at TFF #51 on a 1-5 scale.  The pros are a mix of critics, awards experts and other industry insiders.  To make the list this year a film had to be rated by at least half of the Pros.

Here’s this year’s list of Pros:
Erik Anderson/Awards Watch
J. Don Birnam-Jorge T/SplashReport.com
Christina Jeurling Birro/Pop Culture Confidential
Clayton Davis/Variety
David Ehrlich/Indiewire
Scott Feinberg/The Hollywood Reporter
Marshall Flores/Awards Daily
Mark Johnson/Good as Gold
Dave Karger/Turner Classic Movies
Joey Magidson/Awards Radar
Ryan McQuade/Awards Watch
Will Mavity/Next Best Picture
Clarence Moye/Awards Daily
Matt Neglia/Next Best Picture
Christopher Schiller/ScriptMag.com
Sasha Stone/Awards Daily
Anonymous

And here are the results for the 2024 edition of The SHOW:

1) Anora 4.53
2) September 5 4.08
3) Emilia Perez 4.07
4) Saturday Night 3.86
5) Conclave 3.83
6) Nickel Boys 3.77
7) Piece by Piece 3.60
8) The Piano Lesson 3.46
9) Maria 3.43
10) The Friend 3.25
11) The End 2.65

Congratulations to Sean Baker and Anora for topping the TFF Pro’s Poll for 2024.  Anora’s 4.53 rating supplants Argo and The Shape of Water on the all time Professional’s list in a tie with Poor Things for the 9th and 10th spots:

And after TFF #51, the new updates all time Top Tens *well…since 2012:

The Professionals All Time Top Ten:

1) Moonlight (4.87) (16) (Won Best Picture)
2) Parasite (4.75) (19) (Won Best Picture)
3) Roma (4.73) (18) (Nominated Best Picture)
4) Birdman (4.72) (14) (Won Best Picture)
5) 12 Years a Slave (4.70-tie) (13) (Won Best Picture)
6) Central Park Five (4.70-tie) (12)
7) Foxcatcher (4.63) (14)
8) La La Land (4.58) (16) (Nominated Best Picture)
9) Poor Things (4.53) (23) (Nominated Best Picture)
9) Anora (4.53) (24)
Here is the new trailer for Anora: