Like death, taxes, and Trump’s racism, there are some things you can count on when it comes to Sean Baker’s films. For example, the main characters are going to be attempting to survive on the fringes of society. Additionally, there will be some connection to sex work, as in the cases of Baker’s “Starlet,” “Tangerine,” “The Florida Project,” and “Red Rocket.”
“Anora” (Neon), winner of the 2024 Palme d’Or at Cannes, is no exception. Even when it outstays its welcome by at least 30 minutes, “Anora” is a movie experience you won’t soon forget.
Ani (Mikey Madison) is a 23-year-old Brooklyn-based stripper, of Russian heritage, who learned to speak the language because her Russian grandmother never learned English. Just as she’s about to eat a sandwich between lap dances, her boss tells her that a customer is looking for a dancer who speaks Russian.
This is when she meets Ivan AKA Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn), the 21-year-old son of a Russian oligarch who is on a sex and substance bender. Ani, who has a good head on her shoulders, attempts to keep their interaction professional. But before you know it, she agrees to see him, for a price, beyond the club, in his family’s massive modern mansion where he is the only inhabitant. As time goes on, Vanya becomes more attached to Ani, and while they are in Las Vegas with friends, they get married.
Of course, all this occurs as the Armenian brothers – orthodox priest Toros (Karren Karagulian) and thug Garnick (Vache Tovmasyan) – who are supposed to be keeping an eye on their young charge, are embarrassingly unaware. It’s only when word of the marriage makes it to the news (probably more like TMZ), that the real insanity begins. Vanya’s certifiably insane and dangerous mother Galina (Darya Ekamasova) insists that they do everything to have the marriage annulled, as she and Vanya’s father Nikolai (Aleksey Serebryakov) board their private jet and head to New York.
That annulment is easier said than done. When Garnick and his sidekick Igor (Yura Borisov) arrive at the mansion, Vanya manages to escape, leaving Ani behind. She puts up an incredible (and too lengthy) fight before she is dragged along on the search for Vanya (another bit that goes on endlessly). When he’s finally located, additional complications arise, including the fact that a Nevada marriage can’t be annulled in New York.
“Anora” is a star-making vehicle for Madison (previously best known for her portrayal of Manson girl “Sadie” in “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood”), who brings a riveting energy to her performance. While the ending feels telegraphed (try not to miss the sexual tension between Ani and Igor), and it takes its time getting there, “Anora” is another substantial notch in writer/director Baker’s studded belt.
Rating: B
