Film Review - Anora

Sean Baker’s latest features an awards-worthy performance from Mikey Madison

Credit: Neon

Anora is a film that genuinely wrong-footed me. I expected something much grimmer from writer-director Sean Baker’s romantic tragicomedy, but although this is significantly grittier than, say, Pretty Woman (1990), what surprised me was how darkly funny it is. The absurdist intensity of much of the second half had me in stitches. Yet, this doesn’t feel out of place. It compliments the central drama of the protagonist’s predicament, deepening audience sympathy, because black comedy is, in my experience, very much a part of life.

Said protagonist is Brooklyn stripper Anora, who goes by the name Ani. Played by Mikey Madison in a tour-de-force, awards-worthy performance, she’s fierce, unapologetic about her profession, kind, passionate, and loyal. But is her loyalty to Ivan Zakharov (Mark Eydelshteyn), the rather childish young son of a Russian oligarch, misplaced? He’s initially a client in the strip club. But after a private dance, he pays her for sex, then for her to accompany him as an escort, culminating in a trip to Las Vegas and a whirlwind romance. Here, Ivan proposes, and they marry, much to the chagrin of Ivan’s parents, who send minders to force the pair to get the marriage annulled.

What’s heartbreaking is that for all her transactional professionalism, Ani falls hard for Ivan. She is determined to take her marriage vows seriously, despite her husband’s obvious immaturity. At first, Ivan seems equally determined to resist the minders who turn up at his home, but… Well, I won’t say any more for fear of spoilers. Suffice it to say, the rest of the film is a jaw-dropping escalation of incredulity, hilarity, and unexpected poignancy. In particular, the final act is an ambiguous yet emotionally extraordinary masterstroke that seems to come out of left field, though it has been deftly foreshadowed all along.

Whilst I’ve admired Sean Baker’s previous films, I haven’t always loved them. I took issue with elements of Red Rocket (2021) but thought The Florida Project (2017) was terrific. However, in this case, I think it’s Baker’s best film to date, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Oscar nominations follow. Anora is superbly directed, making fine use of locations (Coney Island features a great deal), with terrific performances in the supporting cast. Worthy of special mention is Yura Borisov’s Igor, one of the henchmen sent to break up the couple. He’s understated and quite superb in this pivotal role.

The soundtrack choices are also clever. For example, a remixed dance version of Take That’s “Greatest Day” plays memorably over the opening credits as Anora and various other strippers straddle their clients. In other hands, a shot of several topless athletic women gyrating in such a fashion could have come off as sleazy, but somehow Baker gives it a cinematic vitality in conjunction with ironically deployed lyrics and Anora’s long dark hair swirling in slow motion. Despite the tawdry setting, it immediately centres the film on her assertiveness and feels almost magical.

I should throw in a caveat that this won’t be for everyone. Those implacably opposed to Sean Baker’s stated mission to destigmatise the world’s oldest profession might get their feathers ruffled, as will anyone who can’t abide depictions of sex, drugs, and strong language. But regardless of conflicting opinions on such matters, a broken humanity shines through Ani’s three-dimensional character that speaks volumes. Like all Baker’s work, for all its foul-mouthed hilarity, this is ultimately compassionate, poignant, and non-judgemental. It also provides an important corrective to Hollywood romanticism; simultaneously acknowledging genre conventions alongside a thought-provoking critique of them. As such, Anora is a layered and quite brilliant film.

(Originally published at Medium.)

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