‘Anora’ Review: Sean Baker’s ‘Pretty Woman’ Is a Triumph

Acclaimed indie writer/director Sean Baker isn’t picky about sex. On social media, pearl-clutchers chat about love scenes that are redundant in the media. In politics, our bedroom activities and identities become fear-mongering topics of conversation. Meanwhile, Baker sheds such puritanical shame and produces one critically acclaimed film after another that offers a provocatively casual yet humane portrait of sex work in the US.

Among his most notable are: Mandarine, which won a slew of Gotham Awards, follows two charming transsexual sex workers during a hectic Christmas in Los Angeles. The Florida Project, starring Willem Dafoe in an Oscar-nominated supporting role, centers on the mischievous child of a sex worker who grows up in candy-colored misery under the shadow of the Disney theme park. Nominated for the Palme d’Or Red Rocket stars Simon Rex as a washed-up porn star looking for a new life with a fresh-faced ingénue. Now, Baker’s Palme d’Or winner Anora chases the Beautiful woman dream — a “whore with a heart of gold” marries a wealthy white knight — with an ending that is much less Hollywood-esque.

Baker rejects both the Holly Golightly/Vivian Ward version of sex for sale and the gritty thriller route of treating sex work as scandalous set dressing. He has made films about Americans living on the fringes of a society that wants them but rejects them anyway. And Anora is perhaps his best yet.

Anora is scandalous, sexy and hilarious.

Mikey Madison plays the role of Ani in “Anora”.
Credit: NEON

Written and directed by Baker, Anora stars Mikey Madison (Scream 5Better things) as its eponymous heroine (and she’d really prefer it if you called her Ani). When she’s not getting shit on by her sister/roommate in their modest Brooklyn apartment, the twentysomething can be found shaking her G-string booty at a strip club with a seductive smile on her face. Like Baker’s previous films, sex work is depicted with a mix of candor and humor. So amid a montage of lap dances, Ani is also shown eating out of a Tupperware while arguing with her boss about her rights as a freelance contractor. This snatch-at-office comedy is an easy way to demystify a job that’s such a point of fascination and condemnation for American audiences.

However, Ani soon finds a way out of this rut ​​when a sweet and suspiciously wealthy Russian boy offers her a sugar daddy deal. What starts as a house call quickly escalates into a trip to Vegas and a quick wedding. But this isn’t a straight-up love match for either of them. For Ani, it’s a chance to be a trophy wife to a young, handsome, wealthy husband she actually enjoys hanging out with. For Vanya (Mark Eidelshtein), Ani is a ticket to a green card that will allow him to stay in the U.S. and away from the pesky demands of his oligarchic parents back in Russia. As you might expect with such a setup, their honeymoon is short-lived. Soon, some fat-ass thugs are knocking on Vanya’s New York City door, demanding an explanation for the rumor that he married beneath him.

Mafia movies train us to prepare for violence in such a scenario. And Baker delivers, but not in the way you might expect. Instead of showing men abusing a beautiful, scantily clad young woman (a real danger for women in the sex trade), Ani turns the tables — and shatters them — in a sequence that’s wildly and unnervingly funny.

Far from a scared mouse, Ani rages at these intruders who want to bully her out of her dream and have her canceled. What follows is a wonderfully bewildering road trip film. With Vanya fled in a youthful panic, it’s up to a reluctant Ani, a motley crew of brooding Armenian brothers (Karren Karagulian and Vache Tovmasyan), and a little extra muscle in the introverted but emotionally intelligent Igor (Yura Borisov) to track down the thrill-seeking heir before his highly irritated parents land in their private jet.

Mikey Madison is a force of nature.

Anora demands a lot from its leading actress.

Ani’s work means Madison’s body is repeatedly put on display, performing steamy dances and acrobatic pole work in long shots that keep every extension in frame. The emotional arc of the story has dizzying highs and heart-wrenching lows, while the stunt work includes (but is not limited to) the aforementioned fight scene involving broken glass and a broken nose (not hers). On top of all this, Madison has to carry the story, as every man around her heroine acts like a buffoon or a bully.

All of this requires more than Julia Roberts-level charm, which she is. It requires a smirking self-awareness, a sharp wit, and a vulnerability that can turn to defensiveness in an instant. Madison isn’t playing Ani; she’s bringing a woman to life in her entirety, from her meticulously lacquered pedicure to her glittery hair extensions. Ani may not be someone you know, but by the end of the film, you will know her intimately.

It’s easy to fall in love with Ani. And we’re not the only ones who do.

Yura Borisov is great in Anora.

By MandarineMya Taylor to The Florida ProjectBrooklynn Prince to Red Rocket‘s Simon Rex, Baker has a knack for casting. In his native Russia, Yura Borisov has quite the filmography. And whether you’re familiar with him or not, it’s easy to see why from the moment he makes eye contact with Ani. Though Igor is being taken along in case there’s trouble, his expression isn’t aggressive or threatening. He’s no Goon #2, as his eyes gleam with a keen understanding of every situation he finds himself in.

As the shouting and preaching and drama rage around him, his words are few and his tone soft. He steadily and subtly becomes a foil to the other characters, quietly making room for Ani’s feelings and thoughts where others dismiss them. It’s character work so heavily reliant on physicality that every twitch of his eyebrow, shrug of his shoulder, or flick of his finger carries weight. And as Ani begins to notice, the film moves further and further away from the conventions of a mafia drama or a Hollywood happy ending, onto a path that Baker must chart for himself. And where it ends is at once funny, frustrating, and yet satisfyingly cathartic.

Anora is without a doubt one of the best of the year.

The audience is led from the back rooms of a sweaty strip club to the silk sheets of a posh apartment, to the glittering, neon-lit boardwalk of Las Vegas and back to the edgy Russian restaurants of Coney Island. Anora is magnificently alive. Madison is the shining star, her charisma undiminished as she wields a Brooklyn accent like a whip to dazzle or wreak havoc as she sees fit. The supporting cast—including Lindsey Normington as a vicious rival—are wonderfully grounded in Baker’s Brooklyn of clumsy intimidation and reckless lust, nurturing sharp wit and even sharper jokes. But Borisov proves Madison’s perfect foil, allowing her to shine even brighter under his gaze. He reflects our own growing awe for this badass who will not—to borrow from another sex worker in a 2024 film— will not accepting a life she doesn’t deserve.

Drew Daniels’ cinematography underscores this passionate tone, drawing us in as she walks over Ani’s shoulder as she takes on a stage or a challenge. The gorgeous colors—rich reds, cool blue-greens—are set against environments of chic beiges or urban grays, making Ani stand out as extraordinary in every moment. All in all, Anora is a visceral experience, one that turns the audience not into voyeurs but into one of the crew. Embedded like this, our pulses race, our eyes widen, our hearts dance like our heroes do. Anora offers a glorious sensation, as daring as it is brilliant.

Anora received a review from the Toronto International Film Festival and will hit theaters on October 18, 2024.