In his previous films ("Tangerine," "Red Rocket," "The Florida Project"), Writer/Director Sean Baker has regularly visited several themes, particularly the plight of immigrants and the difficulties of sex workers. One of the hallmarks of Baker's work is the consistent respect he shows for his characters. While embodying all of the above, "Anora" is infused with a slight tinge of optimism, a vein of hope and a lead character with an attitude and a healthy dose of self-respect. These upgrades over his previous work make "Anora" Baker's best film to date.
When Anora (who demands to be called Ani - sounds like "Annie") encounters Ivan, the son of a Russian oligarch, it's hardly a meet-cute. They first come face to face in a strip club. Ani is one of the strippers. A lot of money changes hands during Ivan's initial infatuation. He purchases Ani's time for a night, then for a week. Ever the practical girl, Ani always requires cash up front. While she appears to enjoy herself with Ivan, she remains clear-eyed about her role and her place. That all changes on a substance-infused trip to Vegas that culminates with a wedding proposal, a four-carat ring and a trip to one of the wedding chapels on the Strip. Ani moves in with Ivan at his parents' three-story gated mansion in Brighton Beach. When word seeps back to Russia, the oligarch and his younger trophy wife are unimpressed. They board a private jet and fly to the States to have the marriage annulled.
The film is filled with Russian actors playing Russians, with several Armenians thrown in for good measure. But all eyes are on Mikey Madison ("Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood," "Scream," TV's "Better Things") in the title role. Madison's Ani is incandescent. She is self-confident, smart, sassy and very realistic about her place in the world. She goes about her sex work in a matter-of-fact manner that insulates her from perpetual cynicism and despair. By the time the film has established some momentum, every moviegoer with a soul is rooting for Ani. It's Madison's charm and magnetism that elevate "Anora" from a good film to an excellent one.
Along the way, Baker makes some interesting observations about immigrants trying to take their place, even temporarily, in the American melting pot. We see the clothes that are just a little off, the struggles with a new language and the too-frequent laughs and bravado that attempt to hide how hard everybody is working just to try to fit in. These transplants also demonstrate that sycophancy knows no national boundaries.
Baker also takes a clear-eyed view of sex workers. While the film contains frequent sex scenes and considerable nudity, it's not pornographic, lurid or voyeuristic. The film conveys that sex for money is a last-ditch source of income for people who otherwise may have few or no options for surviving financially. Sex work is neither glamorized nor vilified.
As it moves along, "Anora" avoids a variety of pitfalls. It never veers off into "Pretty Woman" territory. It gives us a flawed character we all want to root for. Throughout this narrative, Baker expertly blends laugh-out-loud funny moments with scenes of heartbreak. With a running time of 2:19, Baker (who also edited the film) might have better served this effort by leaving a few extraneous scenes on the cutting room floor. Even so, "Anora" is recommended for anyone with a functioning cardiovasculature and even a trace of sentimentality.
