Movie: Anora
Release Date: Oct. 18, 2024
Director: Sean Baker
Runtime: 2 hours, 19 minutes
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Oscar Potential: Picture, Director, Actress, Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing
Rating: A+
Throughout his career, director Sean Baker has made it a priority to tell authentic stories surrounding sex work and those living in poverty with films such as “Tangerine” and “The Florida Project.” In these films, he destigmatizes the struggles of his lead characters, shining a light on their persistent search for the American Dream. Baker continues this trend with his best and most ambitious film yet, “Anora.”
The film opens with the titular stripper, who goes by Ani (Mikey Madison), taking on the son of a Russian oligarch, Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn), as a client. After spending time with him in the club, Ani continues to meet up with Ivan at his mansion when she is not at work. From here, Baker throws the audience into a whirlwind full of laughter and partying.
Ani, coming from poverty, falls in love with the spontaneous, extravagant lifestyle she experiences with Ivan. Taking time off from her job, she travels to Las Vegas with Ivan and his friends to keep living through this dream. While in Vegas, Ani hastily gets married to Ivan.
Whether she loves him or his money, Ani thinks she will live happily ever after, like in a fairytale. However, the film takes a turn when Ivan’s parents find out about his marriage to a stripper. They immediately send Armenian fixer Toros (Karren Karagulian) and his henchmen Igor (Yura Borisov) and Garnick (Vache Tovmasyan) to get the marriage annulled. Ivan runs away upon their arrival at the mansion, leaving Ani behind.
Following a hilarious 10-minute sequence in the house where Igor and Garnick cannot keep Ani from attempting to run away or beat them up, the henchmen are finally able to grab a hold of her. From here, the trio of Toros, Igor and Garnick, go searching for Ivan. Forced into this situation against her will, Ani matures and becomes a sympathetic and captivating character to follow.
While the film's first half was more of a "Cinderella" story packed to the brim with immaturity and slapstick comedy, Baker pulls the rug out from under the audience in the second. The way “Anora” shifts tones from being the funniest movie of the year to one of the most tense and dramatic is balanced perfectly. This tonal change reflects the internal struggle Ani is going on as she comes to terms with the fact that she cannot live in a fairytale anymore and has to grow as a person.
This internal journey culminates in a cathartic ending that will leave audiences sitting in silence. After having such a fierce presence for the entire film, seeing Ani so emotionally vulnerable in these final moments is beautiful. This finale will go down as one of the best endings to a movie in the 21st century.
Mikey Madison’s performance as Ani will not only be a star-is-born moment for her blossoming career, but it should also deliver her the Academy Award for Best Actress. Madison’s performance perfectly captures every nuance of Baker’s vision for this brassy yet sympathetic person, delivering humor, ferocity and heartbreaking emotion. Baker’s characters have always felt unique in how they encompass a wide range of raw emotions, but what Madison does is even more special because of how she allows the audience to see themselves in Ani, no matter their background.
Baker’s direction also perfectly enhances Ani’s story. He allows the audience to experience the first half through rapid cuts and montages while slowing it down in the second half so they can soak in the drama of the situation. Drew Daniels’ cinematography gives the film a unique look. The use of neon lighting and wide-angle shots, which warp the edges of the frame, make the film pop visually in the first half. He transitions into using more natural light in the second half, which helps convey the seriousness of the situation as the characters can no longer live in a fantasy.
“Anora” provides an audience with everything that could be asked for. In tandem with Madison's towering performance, Baker delivers the best film of the year.