By Andre Paras
Staff Writer
“Anora” is the latest film from director and auteur Sean Baker, released on Nov. 8. With this movie being awarded the Palme d’Or, Cannes Film Festival’s highest prize, you can expect to see it as a 2025 Oscar Best Picture contender, according to Financial Times.
Through most of his films, Baker has advocated for sex workers, immigrants and the lower class. He gives audiences a look into big American cities with average people in an honest, off-Hollywood way.
“If there is one intention with all these films, I would say it’s by telling human stories, by telling stories that are hopefully universal,” Baker said at a Cannes press conference. “It’s helping remove the stigma that’s been applied to this livelihood, that’s always been applied to this livelihood.”
In 2015, he shot his full-length film “Tangerine,” telling the story of a pair of transgender sex workers in Hollywood searching for a pimp, on an iPhone 5s.
His 2017 film “The Florida Project” is from the perspective of a six-year-old girl living with her single, unemployed mother in a motel near Disney World.
Finally, “Red Rocket,” released in 2021, is about a washed-up porn star returning to his small Texas hometown.
Now, “Anora” is the least grounded of these all, but that’s what makes it a fan-favorite. The film follows a 23-year-old sex worker from Brooklyn who goes by Anora or Ani, played by Mikey Madison. She meets a 21-year-old Russian named Ivan, played by Mark Eydelshteyn, who lives alone in a massive mansion given to him by his father, a Russian business overlord.
Their sharp contrast in lifestyles and youth attract both of these characters to each other, leading to an impulsive marriage in Las Vegas weeks after meeting. While this sounds similar to the plot of the famous rom-com “Pretty Woman,” later events turn this film into a wild, unpredictable ride.
“Anora” opens in a vivid New York City strip club (Photo courtesy of IMDb).
Shot on film, this movie carefully paints the NYC nightlife, breathing more liveliness into its erotic ambiance. Shortly after, this is where Anora meets Ivan.
If I were to divide this film into three parts, the first plays out like a perverted man-child's dream rom-com. The heavy alcohol and drug-infused Las Vegas trip is swiftly and seamlessly edited together by Baker, who’s also in charge of this movie’s cut. Many carefree, spontaneous moments happen, like their quick marriage. This showcases Ivan’s affluenza and immaturity, but the ridiculous circumstances provide a lot of screwball comedy along the way.
This is only Eydelshteyn’s first role in a major film, let alone as a star, but his casting was perfect. He plays this horny guy with lots of boyish qualities well, with his wealth giving him a bold amount of confidence for such an immature character.
The movie’s second part is where Madison shines as Anora. Ivan’s parents, who are very unhappy with the marriage, send workers to stop Ivan and fly out to annul the marriage. However, Ivan successfully escapes the workers’ disastrous efforts.
The workers are left alone with Anora, and Madison unleashes total mayhem in her performance. Despite her Los Angeles origins, she channels Anora’s Brooklyn attitude, accent and anger, defending her marriage and going to great lengths to try and escape the mansion. There’s lots of yelling, screaming and expletives on top of each other, reminiscent of the New York film “Uncut Gems.”
One of the workers is named Toros, played by Karren Karagulian, who’s acted in every Baker-directed film to date. Toros is his biggest role in a Baker film yet. He certainly makes his screen time powerful here.
The film turns into a random yet scenic exploration of Coney Island to find the lost Ivan (Photo courtesy of IMDb).
Without entering spoiler territory, the last part of this film is the most grounded and depressing. While this isn’t surprising for Baker, the way he’s able to provide so much depth in one of the most fun movies of the year is infinitely impressive.
Madison is able to give “Anora” so much power, but also so much vulnerability. In contrast to the film’s opening, this movie’s final, silent and intimate shot lingered with me. The film’s credits were completely silent, giving the film an abrupt but necessary ending for the audience to sit and think.
Along with winning the Palme d’Or, another highlight of this film’s rollout was the reaction it received at a screening for real sex workers and strippers.
“I could probably cry talking about it. It’s the most important thing because the movie is for sex workers,” Madison told Variety. “So that was really special. Just to walk in and all of these amazing women are clapping with their heels, giving us applause. That was beautiful.”
The best part of it all is Baker’s observational, non-critical look into sex work. Hopefully “Anora” will get Baker his well-deserved flowers from the Academy, and provide Madison and Eydelshteyn’s with a breakout for more big roles.
