ANORA
2024 | Dir. Sean Baker | 139 Minutes
"You do not love him, and he doesn't love you. You understand? That's in your head."
Anora "Ani" Mikheeva, a stripper from Brooklyn, meets Ivan Zakharov, the son of a Russian oligarch. After taking Ivan on as a regular client, attracted to Ivan's carefree nature and freewheeling lifestyle, Ani spontaneously agrees to marry him. Their nuptials set in motion a series of unpredictable events with emotionally cataclysmic results for Ani.
A pointed subversion of improbable Hollywood love stories, writer/director Sean Baker's Anora is as amusing as it is heartbreaking. The film is a highly entertaining tale of raw passion and devastating loss with an incredibly funny layer of cynicism masking heartfelt sincerity. Consistently hilarious in its frank, almost mechanical depiction of sex work, the outrageous wealth and fickle whims of Russian oligarchs, and the limited competence of three grown men attempting to wrangle one desperately determined young woman, the picture also poignantly explores the hidden overwhelming vulnerability of its protagonist under layer upon layer of antagonistic snark and anger.
Liberal glimpses of nudity, sex, and illicit substances aside, the first act of Anora plays out like a dreamy fantasy as Ani gradually falls for Ivan, an attachment that gives her a taste of decadent luxury and ostensibly allows her to leave behind an unfulfilling job and bothersome roommate. The moment Ivan flees his handlers, all hell breaks loose and the film descends into incessant shouting and random acts of violence Ani inflicts upon those determined to track Ivan down in the employ of his enraged parents. To Baker's credit as writer and director, the narrative remains thoroughly engaging through the pandemonium as he makes it incredibly easy to empathize with Ani while she gradually realizes her relationship with Ivan evidently does not align with her expectations. By the time the audience reaches the final heart-rending scene in a kindly hired goon's grandmother's car, the cathartic release is fully earned.
Mikey Madison is absolutely fantastic in the titular role, naturally exhibiting sly wit, gritty toughness, and deep heartache all through a thick but convincing New York accent. As the privileged and totally irresponsible Ivan, Mark Eydelshteyn is believably charming but also believably spineless and punchable. The embodiment of pure undiluted frustration, Karren Karagulian gives off infectious anxiety as Ivan's put-upon Armenian godfather Toros charged with retrieving the boy. Yura Borisov shines as lovable tough guy Igor, consistently and effortlessly stealing his scenes.
Anora is a wild, chaotic, and deeply earnest emotional ride driven by a truly exceptional leading performance. Despite the somewhat unconventional and ostensibly salacious aspects of its narrative, at its core the picture is an engaging universally-relatable story of misplaced love and heartbreak. The pacing and incessant shouting can be a tad relentless during the second act, but the film starts and ends masterfully.
FRAGMENTS
- Igor is honestly the best, no notes
- While the rapid decline of his physical well-being due to Ani's relentless attacks and straight-up bad luck is incredibly funny, I really hope Garnik is okay
