★★★★☆
Director Sean Baker delivered a masterpiece that defies expectations in the best way possible in his new film Anora, released on Oct. 18. Known for The Florida Project (2017), Red Rocket (2021), and Tangerine (2015), Baker returns to exploring the American Dream through themes of hard work, exploitation, and ethics in a form just as chaotic and energetic as his other work.
The film opens with a typical Cinderella story, but a slightly more adult premise reminiscent of Pretty Woman. As it unfolds, expectations are quickly thrown out the window, taking its audience on an emotional rollercoaster.
Anora (Mikey Madison)—or Ani, as she prefers to be called—is a fierce and vibrant 23-year-old Russian-American stripper from Brooklyn, N.Y. A tough talker and a hard worker, Ani pulls the audience in from the moment she steps on screen. One night, she is paired off with a 21-year-old Russian client, Ivan, or Vanya as he prefers to be called (Mark Eidelshtein).
With witty lines, gritty violence, and fast pacing resembling that of a slapstick Quentin Tarantino or Safdie brothers story, Baker flips expectations on their head by interjecting his deeply emotional themes and authentic characters that leave audiences erupting in laughter and simultaneously crying uncontrollably.
Goofy and juvenile, Vanya is quickly taken with Ani and the two begin to see each other privately. Inside his sleek and modern mansion gated from the rest of their Brooklyn community, Ani realizes Vanya is anything but normal. When she asks how he made his money, he reluctantly explains that he’s the son of a billionaire Russian oligarch.
The two continue to see each other and after bargaining, Ani agrees to be Vanya’s girlfriend for a week in exchange for $15,000. In a whirlwind week filled with partying, drugs, private planes, lavish trips, and goods, the two end up in Las Vegas and impulsively get married.
When Vanya’s parents get wind of his new marriage and “prostitute wife,” they send their repair team, an Armenian priest named Toros (Karren Karagulian) and his tough guys, an Armenian associate named Garnick (Vache Tovmasyan), and a quiet Russian man named Igor (Yuriy Borisov) to catch the couple and end their marriage. What follows is a fast-paced, hectic goose chase that shocks viewers at every twist and turn.
The name Anora means “light,” and Madison truly embodies it. After breaking out with supporting roles in Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) and the 2022’s Scream, Anora was built for her to shine, and shine she does.
Madison delivers an exhilarating and raw performance that is truly unforgettable. Madison’s character literally brings the film to “light,” and supporting characters further add fuel to the fire with impeccable comedic timing and equally authentic performances.
The film took home the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, and is the first American film since 2011 to receive the coveted honor. Since its release, it has received abundant critical acclaim and managed a box-office success in its initial limited release. It’s sure to cultivate extensive careers for everyone involved and has given Baker the flowers he has long deserved.
The viewing experience is cinema-going at its finest, every second is unpredictable, and in the theater, every set of eyes was pinned to the screen in awe at all times. It packs the unique gift of amusing humor followed closely by profound sadness, an overwhelming rollercoaster of emotions that will leave you shocked but begging for more.
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