5/5
It’s common for filmmakers to orbit around one idea or theme, slowly approaching the point where they create their magnum opus. In Anora, Sean Baker has finally hit the jackpot, producing something as close to perfection as possible.
His thesis of storytelling could not be made clearer. The film is a dazzling rollercoaster of emotions that hypnotizes you with humour before completely shattering your heart.
Anora, or as she prefers, Ani, is a young, street-smart sex worker from Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach Russophone community where she skillfully navigates the hustle of her profession, working long nights seven days a week performing lap and pole dances to make ends meet. Her momentum is thrown off when she meets Ivan, the affluent son of a powerful Russian oligarch.
The two bond and impulsively agree to marry, allowing Ivan to obtain a green card to remain in America and giving Ani her chance at a Cinderella story. Unfortunately, it isn’t long before word of their marriage reaches his family in Russia, who send three henchmen to ensure an annulment of the marriage.
Anora masters the ethos of Baker’s filmography; his commitment to portraying sex workers and marginalized groups with unwavering empathy and respect is true throughout his catalogue, making Anora feel like a long-awaited masterpiece years in the making. It’s a culmination of his writing and approach to character study, bringing Ani to life as one of his most fully fleshed out characters to date.
It’s also a very, very funny film. The constant, chaotic dialogue is full of memorable jokes and one-liners, many of which unveil the depth of the characters and story. The actors’ chemistry combined with the shaky camera work creates a window into the film’s world, making it easy to forget you’re watching a movie in the first place.
The first act leans into the story’s fantastical premise, whisking audiences through Ani’s whirlwind romance on a ketamine-infused Vegas trip. Baker paints an idyllic, modern image of the American dream decorated with stiletto heels, dab pens and four-karat diamond rings at the beginning of the film. After returning to New York as a newlywed couple, Ani abandons the hazy red lights of the strip club to “go chill out in her mansion, or whatever.” By every metric she’s hit the jackpot, basking in a life she never thought was obtainable — a Disney princess fairytale brought to life.
It’s at the halfway point where the disarming humour is cut off, yanking you out of a high when the bodyguards sent to retrieve Ivan arrive at the mansion. From this point onward the film takes a dramatic tonal shift, dismantling the fantasy the first act builds but nonetheless maintaining its screwball wit. The introduction of these three stellar supporting actors creates a new source of comedy for the film, the standout of the three being Yuriy Borisov as Igor, who quietly monitors Ani throughout the story, subtly showing signs of care.
The soul of the film is indisputably Mikey Madison’s phenomenal star-making performance as the titular character. Even in scenes where she takes the backseat and supporting actors take the lead, her quiet emotional presence is felt. Madison conveys a vast spectrum of emotions as Ani, fluctuating many times in mere seconds, allowing her to disappear into the role. She makes audiences feel Ani’s reactions to the ever-changing circumstances she ends up in.
Madison’s previous roles in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Scream were both very physically demanding, but she’s on full throttle here in the leading position. She kicks, screams, bites and throws punches without hesitation, fully proving she has what it takes to command a scene and lead a movie. The nature of Ani’s work requires her to be frequently unclothed, but Madison controls her facial expressions in these scenes to ensure we never get a full look at Ani’s hidden vulnerability.
Without giving too much away, the ending scene is verifiable proof that Baker is a master of concluding stories. After a film full of humour and emotions, the ending doesn’t feel fit for applause, but for silence. It leaves you soaking in the resonance and forced to address difficult questions about how liberating sex work really is.
Anora is a film for the ages. It’s effortlessly modern in aesthetics but proposes timeless questions of not just working but finding love under modern-day capitalism, building a character study of Ani with utmost empathy and care. Mikey Madison’s career is only beginning with this spectacular performance, and Sean Baker has made it clear he isn’t going anywhere.
No one is above fantasy. In trying times, we can all hope for miracles to happen to remove us from these difficult moments; it’s only natural. Sometimes these miracles happen, sometimes we do get our chance at a better way of life, and sometimes we believe love can save us, but the rich are not reliable tools to bring those dreams to life.