ANORA at New York Film Festival

by Jason Godbey

Thrilling, frenetic, funny, drug-fueled, sexy, energetic, raw, real, harrowing, violent, and visceral — all these words can be used to describe Sean Baker’s Pretty Woman fairy tale turned nightmare, Anora. The experience of Anora is a bit like being grabbed by the lapels and thrown through a plate glass window only to find you’re not dead when you hit the ground. You’re banged up, bruised, bleeding, but exhilarated and relieved to find you’re still alive.

Ani/Anora (Mikey Madison) is a sex worker who dances at a strip club and works as an escort on her days off. Her life takes a turn when she meets Ivan (Mark Eidelshtein), the son of a Russian oligarch, who hires her to be his girlfriend. It’s a wild ride of drugs, booze, parties, and nightclubs that culminates in a private jet ride to Las Vegas where the two decide to get married and secure Ivan’s path to American citizenship.

Once married, Ani quits her job at the club to live with her new husband in his mansion in Brooklyn. Just as their happily ever after begins, everything goes to hell when Ivan’s parents find out about the marriage. They send Toros (Karren Karagulian) who works for his parents along with two of his goons to force to the couple to have the marriage annulled. From there, chaos ensues.

Anora is a character-driven drama, the kind of film that we just don’t see on the big screen these days. It’s emblematic of Sean Baker’s brand of cinema, raw and real. The movie rides on the shoulders of its performances, all of which are excellent. For Madison this is a star-making turn. This her story, and we stay close to her for the majority of the runtime. The ensemble is quite strong as well. Every performance feels undeniably real and authentic from the leads to the extras.

Anora has already been critically acclaimed, winning the Palm D’or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, and currently sitting at a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s not for everyone though. It’s a hard R, so if you’re offended by realistic sex, violence, and strong language, this is not for you. But if you’re tired of spaceships, superheroes, car chases, and gun fights, and you want to see a well-crafted, and well-acted film, I highly recommend it.

Originally published at http://behindtherabbitproductions.wordpress.com on September 26, 2024.