Anora (2024) Neon/Comedy-Drama RT: 139 minutes Rated R (strong sexual content throughout, graphic nudity, pervasive language, drug use) Director: Sean Baker Screenplay: Sean Baker Music: Matthew Hearon-Smith Cinematography: Drew Daniels Release date: October 18, 2024 (US, limited)/November 8, 2024 (US, wide) Cast: Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn, Yura Borisov, Karen Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan, Aleksei Serebryakov, Darya Ekamasova, Lindsey Normington, Ivy Wolk.
Rating: ****
It’s that time of year, faithful readers. No, I don’t mean the upcoming holiday season although it tends to come hand-in-hand with what I’m actually talking about. It’s time for the Oscar bait films! That’s right, we’re about to be deluged with films vying for top honors at this year’s award shows. Here’s hoping we get some good ones this year.
The first real contender out of the gate is Anora, the new film from writer-director Sean Baker (The Florida Project). It’s like a darkly funny version of Pretty Woman with its story of a sex worker who gets romantically involved with a rich guy. Mikey Madison (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) plays Ani (short for Anora), a Russian-American exotic dancer in an upscale Manhattan strip club. She spends her nights hustling for the big bucks, entertaining clients with lap dances and making each one feel special. It’s emotionally exhausting turning it on and off all night; she barely has anything left in the morning.
One night, he boss introduces her to Vanya (Eydelshteyn, The Land of Sasha), the immature son of a Russian oligarch. He’s ostensibly in America to study, but all he does is party, play video games and spend money. He takes a liking to Ani and becomes a regular customer. He then pays her $15,000 to be his girlfriend for a week. He takes her to Las Vegas where they whoop it up with his entourage. While there, Vanya proposes to Ani and she accepts. They get married in a Vegas wedding chapel and start their life together. Unfortunately, it’s not a happily ever after situation.
Word of Vanya’s marriage to a prostitute gets back to his parents in Russia. Naturally, they’re furious at him for dishonoring the family like that. The mother orders the boy’s godfather, an Armenian priest named Toros (Karagulian), to arrange for an immediate annulment. He sends two henchmen, Garnick (Tovmasyan) and Igor (Borisov), to their house to detain them until he can get there. Naturally, it goes south and Vanya runs off leaving Ani to face the music alone. She tries to fight them off and let me tell you, this girl is a real tiger. In the end, Toros forces her to help them find Vanya before his parents arrive to take him back home.
I like what I’ve seen of Baker’s films- Starlet, Tangerine and The Florida Project. They’re all great. Anora is another feather in the filmmaker’s cap. Rarely have I seen a film as alive as this one. It absolutely pulsates with energy and joy, especially in the first half with Ani and Vanya’s whirlwind relationship. It’s positively dizzying at times, but not in a way that feels overwhelming. That’s a feat in itself. Baker takes it to the next level with the underlying sense of sadness, something that comes through in the wintry settings. He keeps you acutely aware of the sorrow that’s about to come to the surface. All of it is beautifully captured on film stock which gives Anora a distinctive 70s feel even though it takes place now.
Now I’d like to make a prediction. I see Mikey Madison being nominated for a few Best Actress awards. Her performance in Anora is nothing short of astonishing. She is brilliant as Ani, a sex worker with a huge fighting spirit. She may be knocked down in life, but she’s far from out. She wants the American dream and she’ll fight to keep it. At the same time, there’s this vulnerability about her. She sees Vanya as her Prince Charming; she believes in the fairy tale. She really loves the guy even though he proves time and time again he’s not worthy. In short, he’s a schmuck. When Ani finally cracks at the end, it’s legitimately heartbreaking.
Russian actor Eydelshteyn turns in a convincing performance as Vanya, a selfish and impulsive sort who has zero understanding of the concept of responsibility. He doesn’t mind playing the role of husband while it’s fun and beneficial. Once it gets real, he’s out of there. He’s not very likable at the start and by the time he shows his true colors, he is detestable. A small part of me wanted to see him change and be the man Ani needs and deserves. Alas, I knew deep down that wasn’t going to happen. This man-child, a little boy not even pretending to be an adult, is no Prince Charming.
Oddly enough, somebody does care for Ani. It’s Igor. He physically restrains Ani when she fights back. The way he looks at her over the course of the night tells us he’s intrigued by her. He also believes she deserves better. She thinks he’s a “faggot ass bitch”. Nonetheless, he’s the only one who supports her through her ordeal with Toros and Vanya’s awful parents. Not even her so-called husband does that. Igor might not be rich or particularly bright, but he’s one of the good ones.
One of the things I admire most about Anora is Baker’s deft handling of the tonal shift. Not many filmmakers can do it this successfully. He makes it feel organic as the dream becomes a nightmare. He also handles the heavy sexual content well. There is a lot of sex and nudity as well as a ton of profanity. Ani has a major case of potty mouth. Given her lifestyle and profession, it’s completely natural. Not once does Anora feel gratuitous. It’s NOT a dirty movie. It’s a mature film about a sex worker. This is the life. Deal with it or see something else.
Anora is easily one of the best films of the year. I realize it’s early yet and I still have a ton of other Oscar hopefuls to review, but I can safely say Anora will be on my Top 10 list for 2024.
