ANORA (2024)
A young sex worker from Brooklyn marries a Russian oligarch's son, but when his parents discover the union they threaten to annul it.

A young sex worker from Brooklyn marries a Russian oligarch's son, but when his parents discover the union they threaten to annul it.
Sean Baker boasts a rich filmography, giving voice to America’s underrepresented in films like Take Out (2004), Tangerine (2015), The Florida Project (2017), and Red Rocket (2021). From Los Angeles streets to small Texan towns, his uniquely American films weave a tapestry of complex characters navigating the pressures of societal disapproval. They’re often funny, deeply emotional, and surprising, with conversations veering into nightmares within seconds.
With his latest offering, Anora, winner of the Palme d’Or at the 2024 Cannes International Film Festival, Baker delivers his most complete work yet. It’s a moving “love story” that’s both one of the year’s most hilarious and devastating films.
Ani (Mikey Madison) is a Brooklyn-born sex worker living in Brighton Beach with her older sister. Working nights at club HQ, her near-fluency in her grandmother’s Russian leads her boss to entertain Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn), the energetic 21-year-old son of a Russian oligarch. Soon after New Year’s, Ivan (or more familiarly, Vanya), a notorious spender of his father’s money, pays Ani to be his girlfriend for a week. This includes watching him play video games, having sex on demand, and taking spontaneous trips to Las Vegas with his friends. However, when his parents learn of their romance, they’ll stop at nothing to break it up.
Anora is best experienced with a vague plot understanding. Neon, the film’s distributor, markets it as a touching, triumphant love story, a modern Cinderella tale. This undersells the film’s power while turning a blind eye to its true weight. It echoes Nights of Cabiria (1957) and Pretty Woman (1990), with the high-energy tension of Uncut Gems (2019) and the hilarious, inane characters of Coen Brothers films like Fargo (1996) and The Big Lebowski (1998). However, Anora never surrenders to its influences, maintaining its unique blend of slapstick silliness, witty dialogue, and deep emotional weight, all anchored by Madison’s phenomenal performance.
Perhaps best known for her small role in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (2019), Madison enters award season as a clear contender. She fully embodies Ani, a 23-year-old sex worker yearning for a chance at fortune, love, connection, and security. Madison infuses the performance with a thick Brooklyn accent and dynamism, always aware of Ani’s social position. In one scene, Ani watches Ivan play video games after paying for her services. The smile she gives him is full of love, desire, and hope for a better future. While her character possesses the strength to fight for what she wants, Madison subtly hints at Ani’s out-of-placement feeling through her performance. Ani is alone, with only a strained relationship with her sister and workplace strife. Madison isn’t afraid to highlight Ani’s flaws, painting her as the most realistic character in an otherwise heightened film.
Baker’s films are remarkable for their unique, memorable characters, and Anora is no different. We’re immediately charmed by Ivan’s boyish demeanor and clumsiness. Slapstick comedy shines when Ivan’s father sends brothers Toros and Garnick to check in on him. Karagulian, who worked with Baker as a repressed cab driver in Tangerine, delivers what might be the year’s funniest line simply by saying “no.” However, the film’s most significant supporting role belongs to Igor (Yura Borisov). He’s hired help from outside Ivan’s family’s wealth and antics. His quiet kindness and longing eyes provide the necessary depth to transform the film from slapstick into poignant dramedy. To avoid spoilers, he acts as the voice of reason in increasingly OTT and heartbreaking situations, bridging the gap for audiences to connect with a non-judgmental character who sees Ani as a person, not a commodity.
Baker is at his most assured as a director here. Having his biggest budget yet helps, of course, but each scene invites us into the characters’ relationships. From the grandest Brighton Beach mansion to Las Vegas plazas, the film maintains a rich intimacy that keeps us grounded with these characters. Anora is also Baker’s most visually stunning film yet. His realistic lighting style remains consistent, but the sets themselves elevate Baker’s style and cinematographer Drew Daniels’ visuals.
Internet discourse continues to revolve around sex in the media. Some advocate for a more puritanical guideline in film and TV, which would undoubtedly turn viewers away from a film like Anora. This makes the film even more important in this cultural moment. It portrays sex as a very real part of life, depicting it with both humour and intimacy. The film’s dissection of Russian and American cultures and hierarchical differences illuminates the global disparities in how sex workers are viewed, highlighting the misgivings in both countries. Still, for all the fear of discussing sex work as a very real part of society, Anora is here to open the conversation for greater societal acceptance. Madison herself deserves much credit for her portrayal’s authenticity and her allyship. She recently hosted a free screening of the movie for sex workers in L.A., met with the enthusiastic response it deserves.
Like Madison’s screening, Anora deserves to be seen in a packed cinema. There’s a sense of connection within the audience itself, a feeling of having been let in on a truly special story. This is especially true in the film’s devastating final scene, an unexpected gut punch that showcases Madison at her finest. We’re left with Ani, to unpack her relentless and hilarious journey.
It’s only fitting that the film adopts her full name, Anora, which Ivan discovers means “bright” or “light.” Anora becomes a beacon of hope, not just for herself but for cinema in general. In an era of reboots, sequels, and remakes, Anora stands as a testament to the emotional power of original films, to the power of stories yet to be told. There’s a whole catalogue of filmmakers waiting for the opportunity to make us laugh and cry on the big screen. Baker has the benefit of prior successes and independent funding to tell the stories he wants. But Anora shows how much more is out there. For all the money poured into big-budget blockbusters that fail critically and commercially, there are dozens of stories waiting to be told. As director Cord Jefferson (American Fiction) said in his Academy Award acceptance speech, “I understand this is a risk-averse industry, but $200 million movies are also a risk. Take the risk anyway. Instead of making one $200 million movie, make twenty $10 million movies or fifty $4 million movies.” Anora is one of the best arguments yet for letting auteurs take more risks.
USA | 2024 | 139 MINUTES | 2.39:1 | COLOUR | ENGLISH • RUSSIAN
writer & director: Sean Baker
starring: Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn, Yura Borisov, Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan, Aleksei Serebryakov, Darya Ekamasova, Ivy Wolk, Luna Sofía Miranda, Lindsey Normington & Alena Gurevich.