Anora Review
Gen Z's Cinderella Story
By Dylan Barbee
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
Anora was one of my most anticipated films of the year and did not disappoint. Like his past film The Florida Project, Sean Baker once again effectively gives us a glimpse of what life is like for underrepresented communities in society who are just trying to get by. He excels in Anora analyzing the relationship between the working class and the rich.
The Palme d’Or award winner at the 77th Cannes Film Festival follows the Cinderella story of a sex worker, Ani (Mikey Madison) in New York who falls for a rich Russian oligarch’s son, Vanya Zakharov (Mark Eidelstein) as they both pursue their personal versions of the American Dream. The story unfolds through moments of romance, tension and vulnerability.
Visually, Anora is one of the most aesthetically striking films of the year. The up close and intimate tight shots of the opening scene inside the club make us feel like we’re with Ani, effectively bridging our perspective with her world. This immersiveness continues once she meets Vanya and his friends as they blow money through the streets of New York and Las Vegas before things unravel for Ani.
Anora has a cast filled with devoted actors who remarkably bring this film to life. Mikey Madison is already in the Oscar contender talks. Her portrayal consists of raw emotional monologues within intense scenes, expressing feelings of infatuation, and a perfect New York accent. She also performed all of her own stunts which is impressive considering Ani takes down three men in a brawl in one of the scenes and a sex worker in another. Mark Eidelstein perfectly portrays the essence of an immature spoiled rich kid who lacks the emotional maturity to take any accountability for his actions. Once the film gets serious in its second act, Vanya’s parents’ workers — played by Yuriy Borisov (Igor), Vache Tovmasyan (Garnick), and Karren Karagulian (Toros) — drive the plot forward as we realize the lengths workers go to satisfy the people who are in charge.
The beginning of the indie film is perfect as it's filled with pure joy following Vanya and his friends as they go on spontaneous nights out, partake in a concerning amount of drug use and lose a lot of money. Vanya is accustomed to this luxurious lifestyle and for Ani, it represents the life that she has always wanted.
We learn that outside of the club Ani lives with her sister and her boyfriend but other than that we rarely see her not hustling. Although some people may be upset about this, I thought this was an impactful decision by Baker as it reveals that Ani struggles with her identity. This is why she goes by the name “Ani” instead of her birth name Anora. Looking deeper into Anora’s character we learn that she craves people’s affection but since she is a sex worker people often take advantage of her need for genuine love.
Ani and Vanya’s relationship starts off as transactional but gradually blooms as it is apparent that she is drawn to him. What begins as a business opportunity for Anora quickly transforms into feelings of innocence and young love. Vanya, realizing this, quickly marries her in Las Vegas to gain American citizenship and escape the controlling grasp of his parents. However, Ani’s sights on her dream life come crumbling down once Vanya’s parents find out that their son married a sex worker, causing Vanya to run away from the problem. Sending their goons to handle the situation for them, the rest of the film is a chase to find Vanya with Ani before his parents land in the States.
Anora’s time with the people who work for Vanya’s parents reveals a lot about the person she is. A pivotal fight scene between her and the goons makes it apparent that she is tough and is willing to fight for love. As the audience we are viewing Ani from the eyes of Igor, a quiet gentleman who is working for the Zakharovs for some cash to support him and his grandmother.
Putting the audience in Igor’s perspective as he slowly falls in love with Ani, Anora shows us the value of quiet observation. Ani’s guarded demeanor out of spite for Igor through the entirety of the second and third acts shows how deeply betrayal has shaped her. It contradicts the affectionate person she was with Vanya as she puts her emotional walls up for Igor furthering herself from being harmed again. We see the emotional complexity of Ani now as she is not willing to let her walls down for anyone.
Even after Ani and the crew reunite with Vanya, who she once believed was her prince charming, the audience realizes that he has discarded his relationship with Ani like it was nothing. Ani’s vulnerability is reserved through anger, not shedding any tears. Vanya’s character symbolizes how the wealthy view others as disposable. He viewed Anora like everything else in his life; something that could be there for a good time but not a long time. Vanya doesn’t face any sort of consequences after putting Ani and the goons through emotional turmoil and they receive the short end of the stick. Ani’s refusal to cry symbolizes her emotional numbness to being dehumanized as a sex worker.
As serious as the film is as it presents its message about giving and receiving, Baker’s latest film is probably the most comedic one of the year as the film elicited genuine laughter within my theater. Baker often finds ways to infuse heavy subject matter with humor in Anora. The cast’s character dynamics with one another was brilliant and there were successful moments of improv that spilled into some hilarious moments.
Despite Anora balancing its serious message with its raunchy characters and plot, there were times when I felt that Vanya’s parent’s workers were so rambunctious to the point where it overshadowed the audience's connection to Anora. Some viewers still may be asking themselves who Ani is after the film ends. Although I enjoyed the second act, the chase to find Vanya is dragged out.
However, I think the third act completely redeems this movie’s weak points as the ending leaves the audience stunned. It gave me a familiar feeling to what I felt when watching the ending to The Florida Project and it amazes me how Sean Baker has mastered third acts. He always finds a way to end the film bringing all the pieces together but leaving the viewer shattered emotionally.
In the end, Igor drives Anora back home after Vanya and his parents refuse to apologize for the situation they put her in. Luckily, Igor understands Ani as they are both people who have to do their job in order to get by. He gives Anora her wedding ring that Vanya got for her as a token of affection. In response, Ani offers intimacy in the way she has learned to cope with her emotions as a sex worker — through sex — before breaking down crying in Igor’s arms.
This heart-wrenching scene is indicative of the fact that Anora does not know what real intimacy or affection is. Even though she seems to be tough throughout the whole film, Anora is truly an emotionally complex but guarded person who craves to be understood by someone and given genuine affection. Her idea of being intimate with someone is skewed as the act of sex is acceptable for her but once Igor tries to kiss her, it threatens to tear down a wall she isn’t prepared for.
Overall, Anora is a captivating film that may take some viewers by surprise. Its rollercoaster of events and emotions might make it Baker’s most well-thought-out film yet. For me personally, I don’t know if it surpasses The Florida Project in terms of impact. However, Anora is one of the best films of the year. Ani’s quest to be seen rather than merely looked at takes the audience along for a ride filled with tears of laughter and empathy.
Rating: 9/10
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