In the opening moments of Sean Baker’s new sex work dramedy Anora, a one-of-a-kind young woman whips her tinsel-speckled hair over her shoulder and flashes her John a beautiful smile. This is Anora (Mikey Madison), the title character of this cinematic rager, and her story is something of an American dream slipping through perfectly manicured fingers. Over the course of a few weeks, the confident stripper becomes entangled in a whirlwind romance with a fresh-faced billionaire, culminating in a fairy tale marriage. But life is known to throw us curveballs, and there’s some wicked spin on the one that comes Anora’s way in this touching, tragic, and truly exceptional movie.
Madison’s performance ushers in the dawn of a new movie star, anchoring Anora in equal parts heart and bite. Ani (as she calls herself) is a powerhouse, and so much of that presence comes directly from the layers and charm Madison gives her. It’s nearly impossible not to fall in love with the character’s bold nerve and her brash Brooklyn accent. The Scream alum has absolutely electric chemistry with co-star Mark Eydelshteyn, who, in the role of 21-year-old Ivan, comes into Anora’s strip club one fateful night looking for a dancer who speaks Russian.
Eydelshteyn’s turn is as much of a breakout as Madison’s, making an impression in several hilariously memorable moments throughout Anora. He giggles as he trips over a cheeky mix of Russian and English, slides across his kitchen floor Risky Business-style, and does eager little backflips while getting into bed. Eydelshteyn gives us a character who is vivacious, eccentric, and completely lovable – until, of course, his age and lack of maturity catch up to him. Ivan does a total 180 in the second half of the film, and Eydelshteyn sells every bit of the switch-up with a frustrating, defeated nonchalance.
But there’s a third character key to Anora’s success: Igor (Yura Borisov), a soft-spoken and tender Russian fixer employed by a goon squad that works for Ivan’s father. When the group of heavies – a hardened leader, a complete idiot, and a gentle giant who share an excellent slapstick dynamic – arrive at Ivan’s mansion to get the marriage annulled, Borisov cements himself as Anora’s unflinching moral compass, and only continues to subvert expectations from there. He alternates between hilarious and heartbreaking, and forms a complicated connection with Anora that develops in intriguing, achingly human fashion.
Baker has a knack for making his films fun and engaging despite their somewhat grim subject matter, and Anora is just as exciting in sight and sound as Red Rocket or The Florida Project. The writer-director-editor fills the red-and-blue spaces of Anora’s workplace with the vibrant sounds of Take That’s “Greatest Day” and t.A.T.u.’s “All the Things She Said.” He immerses us in the protagonist’s excitement about her new life – with new friends, more money, a seemingly true love – through wild party montages. A fast pace and frantic tone ups the ante with each new scene, as its motley crew of characters go to any length necessary to make the annulment happen. Baker’s directorial eye exudes a pure confidence, and it allows his mastery to shine through.
The energy and atmosphere owe just as much to the setting. Just as The Florida Project and Tangerine hinged on the chaotic air of life on the fringes of Orlando and Hollywood, Anora is powered by an unpredictable mayhem that’s unique to New York City. And not the New York we’re accustomed to seeing on screen, either: Baker takes us into the Russian community of South Brooklyn, presenting a multifaceted cross section of the area in Anora’s two-family home, Ivan’s sprawling mansion that’s seemingly been airlifted into its more modest surroundings, and even the colorful boardwalk shops along Gravesend and Jamaica Bays. When the characters’ wild goose chase leads them to the tonier backdrop of Manhattan, we feel Anora’s New York expand, and it becomes clear that this story just wouldn’t be the same if it took place anywhere else.
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