It is not every day that a film opens with a dance remix of Take That’s Greatest Day layed over the image of a line of strippers grinding on the laps of horny men . Surely, the more appropriate Take That song for this moment would be “It Only Takes A Minute Girl”, Am I right Ladies?
But that is exactly what Sean Baker does with his Palme D’Or-winner, Anora.
It is the story of a an Uzbek-American stripper/escort who accepts a proposal from the son of Russian oligarch to be his girlfriend for a week. A whirlwind fairytale romance takes place, culminating in a shotgun Vegas wedding. One that the happy couple discover has made Anora’s extended family not so happy…
Think of it as Pretty Woman but the good times being had by both parties are more akin to Good Time by the Safdie Brothers.
America’s attitudes to, and the experiences of workers inside, the sex industry, has long been a common thread that links Sean Baker’s filmography.
In The Florida Project, the single mother is forced to turn tricks to pay the rent. Tangerine’s lead character was a prostitute, and Red Rocket’s Mikey Saber was a washed-up porn star.
And yet, Baker never judges his characters for their choices or careers. Merely holding up a mirror to this world and starting a conversation.
Anora, or “Ani” as she introduces herself to her clients, is certainly not ashamed. She is loud, proud, and completely unapologetic in her attitude and behaviour. In fact, she gets very, very angry when anyone dares to use a disparaging term to describe her profession.
A profession she is very good at, as evidenced by her affect on Ivan.
Ivan (is like the Russian love child of Jean-Ralphio from Parks & Recreation and Andy Samberg’s Lonely Island persona, and as Jean-Ralphio himself would say, is “the worssssssssssssssssssst”.
However, similar to the way men let themselves believe that an exotic dancer could actually be attracted to them, Ani falls in love with the fantasy life being presented to her. A Prince Charming offering her a life of plenty in a mansion on an island paradise… well, Coney Island but still.
She is seduced by the abundance, the glamour, the excess. She more than anyone should know better. So it should come as no surprise for this Cinderella when the clock chimes midnight and the illusion is shattered.
Albeit rather haphazardly and ineffectually by three stooges in the form of Ivan’s Armenian minders Toros, Garrick, and Russian enforcer Igor. Sent to retrieve Ivan and take him to his incoming parents, this awkward situation escalates quickly into potential kidnapping, home invasion and assault. All at the expense of Ani, as her “husband” is out the door at the first sign of trouble.
This bizarre quadruple of characters then spend the night searching New York & Brooklyn for the absconded Ivan. As the night goes on, the situation becomes increasingly absurd and farcical, and is the most hilarious and entertaining hour spent at the cinema this year.
The gritty 35mm cinematography gives the film a lo-fi, almost documentary-feel at times. It puts you into the heart of the action. Making the audience feel like they are an onlooker at the strip club, a member of Ivan’s entourage, or stuck in the car spending your evening looking for Vanya.
On paper, the story’s simple premise might question a runtime of 140 minutes. And yet, just like a stripper coaxing you to continue putting dollar bill after dollar bill in their bedazzled g-string, Anora simply demands your attention.
Much of that power lies in Mikey Madison’s magnetic, alluring performance. She commands the screen and the audience’s attention. It is a layered performance, with the majority of the film’s runtime following “Ani”. It is arguably only in the final moments that the mask slips and Anora is finally revealed.
And that is thanks to the film’s secret weapon – Yura Borisov as Igor. This quiet enforcer immediately sees through bravado and bullshit to the insecure, frightened girl underneath. It is their changing dynamic across the film’s later stages that gives this stripper movie its heart of gold.
“Don’t call me that. I hate it”, Madison remarks at one point, referring to her indifference to her birth name. “I like Anora”, Igor replies.
Critics and audiences will not only like, but might just fall in love with Anora. Be careful though, that might be what she wants you to feel.
Rating: 
Director: Sean Baker
Stars: Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn, Karren Karaguilan, Yura Borisov
Runtime: 140 minutes
Country: USA
