Sean Baker is a filmmaker renowned for telling stories about marginalized people, bringing ideas, themes and groups to light that Hollywood often forgets. His newest directorial effort, Anora promises to continue this streak, following a young sex worker named Ani who gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. However, once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as the parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled. Winning the Palme d’Or at Cannes earlier this year and receiving high praise during the remainder of the festival circuit, Anora has quickly become one of the most talked about movies of the year. Boasting exceptional lead performances, a unique story, fantastic storytelling and an immersive high energy that seldom wanes, Anora is completely deserving of the spotlight.
The most widely discussed element of Anora is the lead performance from Mikey Madison (Scream 2022), and rightly so. Madison delivers a star-making turn in the titular role as Anora, a young sex worker who strikes up a bond with a client of hers. From her confident dance sequences in the club to a spontaneous wedding in Vegas, traipsing around the city streets looking for her husband to having her home broken into by scary individuals who work for her Father-in-Law, a lot is expected from Madison in this complex role and she delivers. The further the run-time progresses, the more than is demanded from her, and she winds up giving an emotionally memorable turn. It is utterly transformative. Starring opposite oligarch Ivan is Mark Eydelshteyn, who is the perfect match for talent, delivering a notable performance just as memorable as Madison’s. Injecting much humor, lightheartedness and infectious playfulness into the story, he’s a fun character even when at his most unlikeable, whether that be hunched over with a hangover or neglecting others’ feelings for his own enjoyment. Eydelshteyn encompasses every level of Ivan’s personality perfectly, creating one of the most memorable characters of the year. Another performance that must be mentioned is delivered by Aura Borisov (Compartment No.6) in the role of Igor, who winds up spending much time with Ani as they search for her husband when things go pear-shaped. Borisov is fantastic at delivering a nuanced performance, relying a lot on facial expressions and physicality when his character has few lines to deliver. Igor is one of Anora’s best assets, with Borisov being widely to thank.
The reason Sean Baker’s movies resonate with so many audience members is due to how real they feel. His work often takes the form of thoroughly developed character studies, whilst choosing to focus on stories that often don’t get told. Though Anora may be his most fast-paced, accessible and largest in scope to date, it certainly has that human element at its core that makes the script hit emotionally. Our lead character Ani is a sex worker, and though the writing focuses more on her individual journey with Ivan rather than the experience of sex workers in the US, there are some wonderful softer moments within the script that highlight the treatment and attitudes towards women in this field. Ani is a funny, confident and outgoing individual, though we often see this taken advantage of due to both her lust for adventure and fun and her peer’s impression of her based on the work she does. Often spoken down to, mistreated and used, we see both her expectance of being treated badly by others and her sheer surprise when she’s treated with respect and grace. These moments hit incredibly hard, with Baker’s script and Madison’s performance working harmoniously together to shed light on those attitudes towards sex workers. No one should feel shocked at being treated well and not being harmed, and Baker drives this message home up until that incredible final shot. Anora may lack the small-town, intimate feel of his previous work, but the character development is still the most important element, meaning it slots nicely into his filmography.
There are many tones at play here, yet Baker knows how to balance these to create an enjoyable and emotional all-rounder. Perhaps his lightest film thus far in some ways, Anora has some likable, natural humor injected into it throughout that many audience members have been pleasantly surprised by. It might not quite turn into a full-blown comedy, and a few of the laughs are hit-and-miss, but it has so many great moments that’ll definitely warrant a giggle. Furthermore, it’s incredibly fast-paced and energetic from start to finish, and once things truly start to kick in during the second act, our characters are so frantic that it almost squeak into thriller territory. The language is foul, the line delivery is aggressive and our characters are swiftly moving from one location to the next. Tonally, it feels like the Safdie brothers film Uncut Gems (2019), with its focus on hectic background noise and multiple conversations taking place at once. These scenes, purposely jarring and stressful, are very well crafted. Despite its chaotic energy and laugh out loud moments, Anora stays true to it’s main task – putting forward a deep, thorough and thought-provoking character study drama. With many an emotional beat, plenty of quieter character moments, engaging interactions and a pivotal message that will stick with you long after the credits roll, the increase in energy and humor does not deflect from the importance of the story.
Anora is also a marvel from a technical standpoint. The cinematography is absolutely stunning, with plenty of close-ups of our character’s facial features to add to the intimate, personal feeling of the film. Each frame feels meticulously crafted, with many shots that linger, helping to aid the emotion and impact. With vibrant colors from start to finish, fireworks, beautiful neon lighting and eye-catching costume design, the energy comes through not just in the script and story but within the visuals. Baker and his filmography has become synonymous with music over the years, especially *NSYNC’s Bye Bye Bye which was heavily used in Red Rocket back in 2021. Music plays just as important a part in Anora as it has in his previous films, with each needle drop seemingly topping the last, creating even more of a fun and immersive watch. The most notable song is a rendition of Take That’s Greatest Day, featuring Calum Scott and Robin Schulz. It encapsulates the tone, mood and energy of the film so perfectly, and will undeniably squeeze its way onto many viewers’ playlists. Clocking in at almost 2 hours 20 minutes, it has a few pacing issues around the middle, and it certainly feels as though 20 or so minutes could have been shaved off to create a more succinct watch. That being said, the editing is consistently strong and most scenes add something notable to the wider story.
Anora not only continues Sean Baker’s winning streak of character-focused, well-written and pivotal movies, but it solidifies Mikey Madison’s place on the map as an actress worthy of keeping an eye on, specifically during awards season. The story is both important and entertaining, the performances from all involved are fantastic, the energy levels are intoxicatingly high and the script is both memorably funny and emotionally touching. Baker employs the talent he is known for once again, delivering on the intimacy, focus on marginalized groups and use of music that we know and love him for. The run-time is a little longer than it needs to be and the comedy won’t work for all, but this doesn’t prevent Anora from becoming one of the most surprising and impressive films of the year.
