Anora, written and directed by Sean Baker, is a sexy and devastating coming-of-age film for those in their early twenties. The transition of this decade of life has had some crucial and formative years. Anora (Mikey Madison) is a young woman who is confident and sure of herself. She’s resilient and forthright.
The opening of Anora explores her character working at a strip club. Baker tastefully shows the sensuality and athleticism it takes for sex workers to make a living. Madison exudes this cunning, raw sexuality making her shine throughout. She commanded the screen, and it was truly a career-defining performance by her.
Anora recognizes the men who enter the club and how certain ones treat the women in their lives. She understands the game that needs to be played for her to become successful. The conversations surrounding the male clients at the club were authentic and hilarious. The script is whip-sharp and has some of the best fusion of dialogue we’ve seen from Baker.
Anora becomes the star at the Headquarters strip club. Due to her Russian background, her manager chooses her to entertain a Russian high-roller named Ivan (Mark Eidelshtein). The chemistry between Madison and Eidelshtein is carefree and effortless. They sell the connection quickly, especially once Ivan shows he’s fully interested in Anora.
At first, when Anora discovers that Ivan’s father is an oligarch, she calculates how to move forward with him. He pays her to be his escort for a while and Anora has more fun with him than she anticipates. Your early twenties are about being reckless and impulsive. You explore relationships with others that push boundaries and hope you’ve found something lasting.
The more she spends time with Ivan, the quicker she falls for him. It doesn’t become about the money for her, it’s about the life she would lead with him to get her out of the current lifestyle. In a way, Anora perfectly encapsulates the immediate gratification those in their early twenties ache for. How can one live a lavish lifestyle so they don’t have to struggle? Social media has damaged this perception immeasurably that a life of delusion is better than living in a bleak reality.
Ivan puts on a facade for Anora. She only sees what he shows her; the parties, the drinking, the private jet. Baker reveals Ivan’s intentions which causes a slow, destructive turn for Anora.
The first half of Anora is romantic and dreamlike, but once the hard reality sets in, the romance is stripped away. As a sex worker, she’s reduced to being called a “prostitute” and “whore”, which is damaging for a twenty-year-old thinking true love was what she was feeling. The downward, chaotic spiral of Ivan’s family attempting to break the marriage chips away at Anora’s spirit. At first, she swings at the goons and his parents to defend and protect her “husband.” Once she realizes that Ivan doesn’t feel as she did, the warmth vanishes and a wave of coldness takes over.
While Anora has a breakdown (even though she hides it well), there are hilarious moments involving the goons from Ivan’s family. The beauty of this script by Baker is that there is constant chatter from everyone in the scene even if they’re not on camera. Toros (Karren Karagulian), Garrick (Vache Tovmasyan) and Igor (Yura Borisov) are the comic relief. After Ivan runs off, Toros, Garrick, Igor and Anora try to find him. The four of them had such great banter that even though the chase for Ivan was longer than it should be, it was still entertaining.
Anora is Sean Baker’s most well-rounded and charming film to date. Mikey Madison delivers a star-making performance that will catapult her into the spotlight. Madison was already a crowd-favourite after Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Scream V, but general audiences will love her even more after this. She is fearless in this role, and it’s impossible to not hang on to her every word.
Towards the beginning, it feels like Pretty Woman, but Sean Baker twists it all on its head, giving his cast so much to work with. Whether it’s physical comedy or banter between the characters, there’s always something to keep the electricity going.
As the second half amps up on the hunt for Ivan, Anora’s spirit is like a dark cloud looming over the result of their annulment. Even though there is this heavy sadness, especially with how Baker ends the film, there’s this sense of relief that Anora now knows how to move forward differently in life.
5/5
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