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From the start Anora is a deeply human story about a young woman who knows her worth, advocating for herself even if she’s the only one in the room to do so. Anora is loud, she’s in your face, and utterly kick-ass. Sean Baker balances the best elements of his previous work, giving audiences a perfect blend of raunchy comedy and an infectious love story that sweeps you off your feet. Anora is wildly adventurous as it evolves from a rags-to-riches modern fairytale into the tender tale of vulnerability that comes from being in love.

When we first meet Anora, who chooses to go by Ani and is played by Mikey Madison, she’s a lively exotic dancer and sex worker who calls New York City home. Going through the motions of life while sharing an apartment with her sister, there’s a spark of life waiting to be ignited in Ani. Awaiting her moment to meet Mr. Right, she gives several dances, argues with her coworkers. When in walks the Russian man of her dreams, or so she thinks. Ivan, played by Mark Eydelshteyn, is seeking a woman who speaks his language, unbeknownst to him at the time in more ways than one. Sparks immediately burst between the two as they bond over the confusing manner of the English language. As the pair dance and drink their first night together away, the seeds of their relationship have just begun to be planted.

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Their first meeting leads to Ani giving Ivan her phone number, which begins a journey into a lavish love story soaked in booze and lined with money. Ani finds out that Ivan is the son of a powerful Russian oligarch after Ivan calls for her services for the first time. Relatively unfazed by this discovery, Ani and Ivan become inseparable, showcasing his wealth with shopping sprees, luxury hotel stays, and a carefree lifestyle. Much like Ani, we all get swept up in their fast-paced life and their magnetic chemistry, and when Ivan suggests the idea of marriage, we cheer it on because their young love feels genuine. Away from their New York homes, the couple ties the knot during a Vegas trip, putting an end to their on call relationship.

The honeymoon phase of their marriage, much like their unconventional courtship, is short-lived as Ivan’s family finds out he has married a sex worker. Not approving of his actions, this is where Anora takes a wild spin, diving into a high-stakes adventure of sorts. Tasked with terminating the young lovers’ marriage is Toros, played by Karren Karagulian, with his lackeys Igor, played by Yura Borisov, and Garnick, played by Vache Tovmasyan. Ani, from the beginning of the film, has always been a woman who knows what she wants, so the idea of divorcing her new husband and losing her American dream she has just fulfilled isn’t happening. The newlyweds have to fend off the naysayers of their love when Ivan’s family demands answers and an annulment. With her new life being something worth fighting for, Ani is ready to take on whoever gets in her way.

Cinderella Story

Much like any Sean Baker film, Anora is another film in his roster that has casting that is nothing short of perfection. Mikey Madison delivers a career-defining performance as Ani, handling her character with a vast amount of respect, and never mocking her role as a sex worker, but instead celebrating her. She’s a complex woman with a wide array of emotions who is put through some rough situations and never forgets who she is. Madison’s chemistry with her on-screen husband, Mark Eydelshteyn, was palpable from the start. Eydelshteyn has a charm to him with his wide smile and youthful energy. Their chemistry makes you want their unconventional love story to work so desperately, a pairing that grabs you the moment they share the screen together. Almost as if it we are in love at first sight with the both of them.

As Anora progresses and delves deeper into the possibility that Ani and her new husband might not be the match we all had rooted for, Ani doesn’t relent in her American dream of love and prosperity. Sure, she has her doubts, as does any woman who is in love, although most aren’t being pressured by Russian thugs; her resolve is steel. Her belief in a better life consumes all aspects of her life, making the film come full circle near the end.

If I Were You..

Written by Sean Baker, Anora much like Baker’s The Florida Project, shows a human side to a demographic that isn’t shown often in film. Sex work and exotic dancing are a centerpiece of the film, and it would be easy to make it exploitative, but Baker handles the movie’s themes with an immense amount of care. Ani isn’t just a woman who makes money from her body or from dancing; she’s a woman who is beautifully vulnerable and layered. She’s shown to be a woman who loves deeply as any of us do and has dreams of a better life outside of her work. My favorite moments from Ani come when she’s in a room filled with people who are pressuring her to get her to break, and she refuses at every point. Never relenting, and more importantly, never reducing her own worth to match someone else’s value of herself.

The film’s setting taking place in New York only amplifies the madness of the story unfolding before our eyes. Set in the chilly season where the snow has just begun to fall, the cold can be felt through the screen. Cinematographer Drew Daniels captures the beauty of the city in its small details, city lights that illuminate the sky, or the skyline view from Ivan’s mansion as a blizzard rolls in. Each location shown from Manhattan to Brooklyn feels like areas that Ani has been familiar with her entire life, capturing a true lived-in essence. When the lovers and their friends go to Vegas, the nightlife is vibrant in the neon lights that light up the strip, highlighting their non-stop adventures.

Overall Anora is a film that hasn’t left my mind since seeing it at the Toronto International Film Festival this year. Its highs are soaring, but its lows are deep, leaving us with a final shot that lingers long after the film ends. Sean Baker continues his streak of spotlighting stories of groups often overlooked. Madison gives a performance that will be spoken about for years to come with her portrayal of a vivacious woman who knows the value of herself.

Synopsis & Rating

“Anora, a young sex worker from Brooklyn, meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as the parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled.”

5/5

Anora releases in select theaters on October 18, 2024 from NEON.

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