Anora
Perhaps no film this year has built up expectations quite like Sean Baker’s “Anora,” a modern-day take on the screwball comedy genre, ramped up to power ten. This is the first American film to win the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival since 2011. And now it has finally hit American theatres.
The story
“Anora” follows a young Russian American stripper/call-girl who goes by Ani for short. She’s played by Mickey Madison, in a breakthrough performance likely to catapult her to the “A” list of today’s young actresses. One night, Ani’s “skills” are requested by Ivan, a young filthy-rich Russian whose English leaves something to be desired. Since Ani also speaks Russian, her services are summoned.
Turns out Ivan (Russian actor Mark Eydelshteyn) is the son of a rich Russian oligarch. Ivan lives in an upscale Manhattan apartment and wastes away his days and nights partying, without a care in the world. Ivan begins to spend as much time with Ani as he can – even paying for her services for a week or more at a time. Rather than go out and find a girlfriend, he pays a stripper to essentially be his girlfriend for extended periods. It doesn’t take long for the two twentysomethings to develop an affinity for one another however, and they eventually tie nuptials in a shotgun wedding in Las Vegas.
The fun begins
The hitch is that if Ivan is legally married in America, he doesn’t have to return home to his family in Russia. Sensing Ivan has done exactly that, his wealthy and influential parents unleash Ivan’s godfather Toros – a priest at a New York Orthodox church – to immediately annul the wedding and return Ivan to Russia. Toros’s somewhat incompetent henchmen arrive at Ivan’s apartment, where the fun of Baker’s original screenplay begins.
Early Tarantino
The remainder of “Anora” plays out like an early Quentin Tarantino film – before he became obsessed with gratuitous screen violence. Heck, these henchmen are not even armed. And that’s partially why “Anora” is funny. While Toros and his men are serious in their task of returning young Ivan to Russia, we’re always keenly aware that Ani is never in any real danger. She doesn’t know that; but we do. That’s part of the brilliance of Baker’s most polished work since “The Florida Project.”
New York as a character
And much as in “The Florida Project,” New York is practically a character in and of itself. It’s not a pretty New York. No Times Square here. No Madison Square Garden. No, this is the grimy, gritty New York of “Taxi Driver.” “Anora” shows us the seedy side of America’s largest city. The underbelly of society. This is a cold, unloving New York, in which inhabitants must find their way on their own – with no help from anyone. When Toros’ illegally parked car is being towed and he’s screaming bloody murder at the tow truck driver, passersby don’t even seem to notice.
Yes, “Anora” is funny. It’s a fast-paced and unpredictable romp that has us on the edge of our seats in a “Pulp Fiction” way. We almost don’t care where Baker takes us; we’re along for the ride. And as in “Pulp Fiction,” we find ourselves laughing at things that shouldn’t be funny, but are.
But what about reality?
Yet, there’s that nagging sense that Ani’s and Ivan’s wedding might just be annulled. That maybe Ivan doesn’t really love Ani. That, God forbid, Ani’s world will come crashing down, and she will have to return to turning tricks to make a buck.
The character of Ani is compelling in that she acts as the bridge between the Russian characters and the Americans. She’s just Russian enough to be able to communicate with Ivan, Toros, and the henchmen. But she’s lived in America so long she possesses an American sensibility foreign to Ivan and the others. She knows her way around the city; around American culture and American life. Jaded by years operating in the underbelly of the modern-day New York world, Ani acts as our guide through these proceedings. Through her, we are aware what the Russians can and cannot get away with.
Ambiguous ending
Much as in “The Florida Project,” Baker tacks on an ambiguous ending certain to frustrate some viewers. It’s a sad ending to a film that feels more alive than any other this year. The ending jars us back to reality as we learn (or think we learn) Ani’s fate. On the one hand, we should have seen it coming. On the other, we’re frustrated that her dreams shall (for now) remain just that.
Another triumph
“Anora” is another triumph for screenwriter and director Sean Baker. After the letdown of “Red Rocket,” Baker returns to top form with a film that sizzles and crackles its way off the screen and straight into our hearts. “Anora” is profane, unpredictable, and exciting. Save for a little mid-film dragginess during Toros’ long search for Ivan through his New York haunts, “Anora” instantly takes its place among this year’s best pictures.
Andy Ray‘s reviews also appear on https://townepost.com/