“Anora,” the latest feature film from the slice-of-life director Sean Baker, is a rocket-fuelled joy-ride that keeps you smiling from ear to ear — right until the dreary final scene has you pondering everything you just watched.
With “Anora,” Baker added to his renowned catalog that includes “The Florida Project,” “Red Rocket” and “Tangerine.”
Baker, known particularly for his humanizing depictions of sex workers and marginalized peoples, further cemented his status as one of today’s best working directors with “Anora.”
The film, which premiered at 77th Cannes Film Festival on May 21, follows Ani (Mikey Madison) as the titular character. Night in and night out, she works at a strip club in Brooklyn to stay afloat.
When she meets Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn), a 21-year-old Russian man with seemingly endless wealth, she actualizes her own “Cinderella” story as her dream becomes a reality.
Baker, alongside cinematographer Drew Daniels, creates an atmospheric blur of a first-act, jumping from clubs to parties with a mostly diegetic soundtrack that serves the purpose of immersing the audience.
Gorgeously shot and directed, this entire act is the realization of both Ani and Ivan’s fantasies — Ani obtaining the affluence she always longed for and Ivan experiencing the romance of his dreams. Riddled with rapid jump cuts between partying and erotic sequences, reinforced by the palpable, charismatic chemistry between the two leads, the first act is a romantic thrill-ride that culminates in their impulsive elopement.
Ivan is the son of a Russian oligarch, who unbeknownst to his family, marries Ani whom they consider a “prostitute.” The film then completely switches genres as the family sends the comedic counterparts Toros (Kareen Karagulian), Igor (Yuriy Borisov) and Garnick (Vache Tovmasyan) to force the newlyweds to annul their marriage.
As Ivan receives word his parents are coming to the states, he flees his mansion and leaves Ani behind, leading to an electrifying second act of cat-and-mouse that is as thrilling as it is hilarious.
This second act is powered by Baker’s ingenious script and enhanced by the quick-witted interplay between the three henchmen and Ani. Karagulian is exceptional in his facetious role as Toros, honing in laugh-out-loud reactions with nearly every line.
“Anora’s” first and second acts are shot perspectively different. The first act is a montage-esque, neon-lit dreamscape shot from Ani’s point of view, following her two-week drug-infused fantasy. The sobering second act changes the film’s perspective, primarily following the secondary characters as Ani’s life plummets from a distanced narrative.
This creates a subtly tragic undertone, masked by comedy, that becomes much more apparent and shattering on a second watch.
The short but efficacious third act is one I will be thinking about for a long time. Madison’s performance is unfathomably good, and worthily in contention for a Best Actress nomination at the Academy Awards.
The final scene, in classic Baker fashion, is silently heartbreaking and drives home the film’s main themes regarding class exploitation and societal views of sex workers. Ani’s journey is one of false hope and the nosedive back to reality is devastating to watch.
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