‘Anora’ will have you laughing, dancing and crying

“Anora” is a new, joyfully confusing, action-packed film from writer, editor and director Sean Baker. I had no expectations before watching this film and walked out of the theater completely stunned. “Anora,” a film about a stripper’s niche love life and involvement with members of the Russian oligarchy, left me tearing up and at a loss for words. 

The titular character, Anora, is played by Mikey Madison. Anora goes by “Ani” for the entirety of the film. While working as a stripper in Brooklyn, Ani meets Vanya, the young son of a wealthy Russian oligarch. Their relationship begins as a transactional one. Vanya pays Ani exorbitant sums of money for her time and eventually hires Ani to be his girlfriend for a week before they spontaneously fly to Las Vegas and elope in a wedding chapel. 

News of the young couple’s marriage gets to Vanya’s parents, and the action quickly ramps up. After Vanya flees the henchmen sent to break up his marriage, Ani and the men are forced to track him down before his parents fly in from Russia. The movie continues as the unlikely group travels around Brooklyn in a time-sensitive search for Vanya.  

Baker packs the plots of multiple, genre-varying films into one. While the first half of the film presents as a “Pretty Woman”-esque, “hooker with a heart of gold” tale, the second half gives viewers an aggressive, crime-fueled chase sequence sure to keep you on your toes. At no point in the movie could I have guessed what was going to happen next, and much of the film’s enjoyment comes from its shock factor. Baker presents the audience with a new, unpredictable story by placing these specific characters in outlandish scenarios that the audience would never expect to find them in, 

Madison’s character, Ani, is a confident and determined woman. Ani seems to know exactly what she wants to do and will not submit to anyone’s doubt of her ability to accomplish her dreams. Madison dedicated lots of time and energy into preparing for the role — reading memoirs from sex workers, watching documentaries, learning Russian and working with a coach to perfect her dancing skills. The work Madison put into Ani’s character is noticeable and added a necessary depth to her character. Madison portrays Ani as a complicated and intense person — not as the classic, demeaning stripper trope, but as a sharp, tough person who fights to defend herself and her reputation. 

Vanya’s character, played by Russian actor Mark Eidelstein, sharply contrasts Ani. Vanya is a young, reckless boy who lives to spite his parents. While he relies on his parents for a large allowance of money, Ani works hard to support herself. Vanya’s immaturity is played off as boyish charm during the rising action of the film, but the illusion fades during the conclusion and it becomes clear to the audience that there is certainly no charm involved with his boyishness. 

The plot of this movie is fantastic and one of a kind. “Anora” compiles beautifully shot scenes with an enthralling soundtrack of iconic pop songs and a shockingly beautiful score from Matthew Hearon-Smith. However, the characters and their duality are the ones that make the movie so remarkable for me. None of the characters fulfilled my admittedly prejudiced assumption of who they would turn out to be. In fact, they demolished those assumptions entirely. 

The Russian henchmen end up being the sweetest characters in the film, the dopey, lover-boy ends up being an emotionless poser and the young dancer ends up physically and mentally fighting her way to a happy ending. This film denies any expected tropes or conventions viewers might come into it with. Genre-bending is no easy task for filmmakers — especially when it is done well. 

I am hard-pressed to find something I disliked about “Anora.” Even at its least likable moments, the audio/visual aspects of the film are highly entertaining and transport the audience directly into the scene. Whether or not you like the plot or the characters, there is no denying that “Anora” is a masterfully made film. 

“Anora” received rave reviews from critics, and a whopping 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. I would be shocked by anything less. If you are interested in a romantic comedy, a fast paced action film or a heartbreaking drama, I recommend you see “Anora” as soon as possible. I had never seen a movie like “Anora” before watching it, and I am not sure I ever will again. The cast presents an amazingly chaotic, genre-defying, fairy tale story that is sure to captivate even the most pessimistic audience member.