Ema Sasic

By Ema Sasic

If there’s one director who has made himself known by spotlighting the often marginalized and voiceless in his films, it’s Sean Baker. In a time when movies often want to glamorize the world around us and make us forget about our troubles, Baker is never one to shy away from showing the grimy and sometimes tragic fates that his protagonists face. In particular, with projects “Tangerine, “The Florida Project” and “Red Rocket,” he has made it a point to highlight the complicated lives of sex workers and lower-class Americans, giving viewers around the world a glimpse into a reality they may not fully be aware of, but one that deserves empathy and respect.

It comes as no surprise then that his latest film, the Palme d’Or winning “Anora,” centers on many of those same topics, but still manages to bring a fresh and unique perspective on screen with its “Cinderella” story turned “Uncut Gems” nightmare. Big laughs and chaos take center stage, though the fun does end up taking its toll with an overly long runtime. However, “Anora” gives viewers plenty of time to marvel at a star in the making, Mikey Madison, who puts her whole self into the titular role and is a delight in this film’s many twists and turns.

Anora, who prefers to go by Ani (Madison, with a thick Brooklyn accent), is an exotic dancer who can capture any man’s attention in a pulse-pounding strip club. Within just a few minutes of looking at her on the big screen, you’ll be mystified by her as well. The sheer amount of athleticism and skill that Madison shows, from lap-dancing to performing on a pole, is unbelievably impressive, let alone the captivating charm she puts on to convince her clients to head to the ATM and grab some cash. Baker and cinematographer Drew Daniels capture not only her and her fellow dancers’ talents, but also the gossip, the budding heads and scheduling issues at this workplace, destigmatizing the setting and nature of her work. But Ani’s life, like many others’, is anything but glamorous, as evident by an overbearing boss, her endless hustle to make money and the noisy apartment she shares with her sister.

Things change when the baby-faced son of a Russian oligarch, Ivan “Vanya” Zakharov (Mark Eydelshteyn), walks into the club and is soon equally entranced by Ani. After receiving plenty of one-on-one care in the club, he invites her to his mansion for private sessions and later to be his girlfriend for a week (for a fee of $15,000). When he gets the wild idea to elope in Las Vegas, Ani, a bit taken aback by the proposition, eventually agrees. Sure, Vanya is quite childish (he’s 19, hasn’t worked a day in his life and spends his time playing video games), but when she has a choice between living in her cramped apartment or in a mansion, the red flags don’t really matter. Seeing Madison and Eydelshteyn live out their messiest and wildest lives together is an absolute joy to watch. They seem so free and happy as they run amok everywhere they go, and even though this marriage may be questionable, you can’t help but root for them. Eydelshteyn also delivers some wonderful one-liners, including a euphoric “God bless America” when he’s getting the lap dance of his dreams.

Unfortunately, not everyone is as dazzled by these two. Once Vanya’s parents get word of his marriage, they send the goon squad, consisting of his godfather Toros (Karren Karagulian), and henchmen Garnick (Vache Tovmasyan) and Igor (Yuri Borisov), to get the marriage annulled and send Vanya back home. The candy-colored, free-spirited vibes from the first act come to a screeching halt when miserable reality sets in. Vanya bails on his new bride and leaves her with the men, leading to some hilarious physical comedy from Madison and the henchmen and plenty of motherf-bombs being thrown around. The editing deployed in this sequence — which goes from Ani punching, kicking and screaming at the goons to Toros, an Orthodox priest, disrupting a baptism he’s officiating — heightens the insanity even more.

Once this unlikely group is tasked with finding Vanya and annulling the marriage, the fast-paced energy slows down and Baker’s film has a tendency to drag. He chooses to showcase every step of their journey, retracing the film’s footsteps and visiting Brighton Beach locations we’ve already seen and the friends we’ve made along the way. On the one hand, it’s fun to see this wacky quartet in action — Karagulian has some incredible moments where he loses his marbles and screams into the abyss he’s found himself in. On the other hand, patience begins to wear thin watching long takes where very little happens and the characters feel dejected at each new spot.

It’s also in this section where “Anora” doesn’t fully advance its leading lady. Throughout the film, we’re enchanted by Ani’s big eyes, sparkly hair, brash accent and nature, but we lack her backstory, aside from few mentions of her mother and sister, or really knowing anything about her. It’s evident that she’s clinging onto this fantasy she and Vanya have created because, again, who wouldn’t want to make all their financial problems disappear. But there seems to be something more to it than just the money. Why else would she keep telling Toros and the other men that she and Vanya aren’t in a “fraud marriage” and that their love is real? Unfortunately, we never hear from her why she’s fighting so hard and putting up with being insulted and attacked every step of the way. I also walked away from this film not knowing anything substantial about this woman, other than how many times she can swear in a minute. Where are her friends? What does she hope from in life? This disconnect made the more emotional turns of the final act not quite as poignant for myself, including a very heartbreaking finale with her and Igor. But despite these setbacks, enough can’t be said about Madison’s portrayal. She truly puts her whole heart and soul into Ani, and you can’t take your eyes off her her anytime she’s on screen. She’s got the comedy chops needed for a role such as this, as well as the maturity to take on the narrative shifts and the weight of reality that her character comes face to face with.

As the film heads into its third act, yet another vibe shift, a more somber and heartbreaking one, occurs when Vanya’s true feelings about Ani and their marriage come to the forefront, let alone when his disapproving parents (Aleksey Serebryakov and Darya Ekamasova) enter the picture. As everyone gives a piece of their mind to Ani, Baker gives her even more ferocious and biting lines to throw at everyone, livening up each scene and bringing back the energy. In one shining moment, Ani squares off with Vanya’s mother to the delight of her husband, who can’t help but let out one of the best laughs ever heard. It’s also here when Igor steps into focus as the only person who shows her any kindness in the midst of all the chaos, and their “friendship,” if it can even be called that, leads to a surprising conclusion.

If “Anora” shed about 15 minutes and gave its namesake more dimension, it would be an absolute slam dunk. As it stands, there’s still plenty to enjoy with this fantasy-turned-worst-night-ever comedy. Always one to keep viewers on their toes, Baker brings big laughs and plenty of moving moments in his latest film, showing us he’s only getting better with each film. Given this film’s length and many twists and turns, repeat viewings seem appropriate. I’m certainly excited to rewatch it as it may clear up some of the initial hiccups I had during that initial watch.

Score: 3.5/5