Filmmaker Sean Baker is no stranger to humanist films that dive into the harsh realities of sex work and exploit class divides. His “Anora” (Cannes’ 2024 Palme d’Or winner) is cut from the same cloth. Exuberant and shattering at once, “Anora” is the tale of a heroine and damsel-in-distress — a duality often shown within seconds of the same scene.
The first moments of the film place the audience front and center at a gentleman’s club in Midtown Manhattan. Anora (Mikey Madison), who goes by Ani, is recognizable instantly. She’s doe-eyed and foul-mouthed in the same breath; moreover, she won’t shy away from conflict, whether wittily firing back at her boss or physically protecting herself from grown men. While we don’t learn Ani’s more personal backstory, her role as a sex worker feels freeing rather than confining. She lives a modest life and seems only to want to make enough to leave Brighton Beach rather than find her Prince Charming. And yet, in walks Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn).
The childish son of a Russian oligarch, Ivan is the 1% personified. He’s a scatterbrained motormouth who only sits still if he’s playing video games in his absent parents’ mansion. His feet never quite seem to touch the ground, living in a world far beyond anything Ani has seen before. To her, Ivan’s life appears perfect because she views his privilege as a fairytale; to the audience, it’s evident his reality is devoid of the comforts of a warm home. (At one point in the film, we even hear: “What, rich people don’t have ice?!”) Despite being worlds apart, a tornado romance ensues complete with a Vegas wedding.
When word of the marriage reaches Ivan’s parents in Russia, all hell breaks loose and fills the remainder of “Anora” with a different kind of chaos: a wild goose chase for Ivan, concern for Ani’s physical wellbeing, and threats of annulment that leave her reeling. Amidst this, we find a glimmer of hope in Igor — a well-intending henchman hired by Ivan’s family who ends up forming a bond of solidarity with Ani. Through Igor, a deeper layer is added to the film’s otherwise not-so-groundbreaking narrative: a sort of tenderness begins to unravel, and we sense that Ani may not have lost her chance at a better future.
Really, “Anora” is just that: Ani’s story. While there isn’t necessarily a moral to it, viewers will relate to her fierce determination in standing up for herself and the life she knows she deserves.
Movie Times: Click Here
Genre: Romance/Drama
Director: Sean Baker
Actors: Yora Borisov, Mark Eydelshtyen, Karren Karagulian, Mikey Madison, Luna Sofía Miranda, Vache Tomvasyan
Run Time: 139 min
Rating: R for for Strong Sexual Content Throughout, Graphic Nudity, Pervasive Language, and Drug Use
