Sean Baker is a filmmaker whose work I have thus far appreciated but not loved. I found The Florida Project very touching until an ending that didn't work for me, and Red Rocket was solid but never quite hooked me in. His latest film Anora, the Palme d'Or winner at Cannes this year, is finally one that I can confidently say I love.
Anora follows Ani (Mikey Madison), a young sex worker who thanks to some knowledge of the Russian language is tasked with taking care of a young Russian man. Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn), the son of a wealthy family, takes to Ani and pays her to spend a week with him, only for them to impulsively marry each other so he can stay in America. When word of their union reaches his parents, her Cinderella story is interrupted as their people try to have the marriage annulled.
This film does what some of the best films do, it hooks you in with fun energy and hilarious moments, only to punch you in the gut later on. I wouldn't describe Baker's work that I've seen as "funny" but for much of the runtime this film is truly gut busting. When the family's employees come to take Ivan and Ani to have the marriage annulled, the film essentially takes a turn to an Uncut Gems kind of unhinged frenzy of people yelling at each other and breaking things, and it's truly some of the funniest stuff I've seen this year. The lead up to that is frankly beautiful. Ani is shown as very confident and good at what she does, but there's something about the relationship between her in a very adult profession and Ivan who acts like a child that almost pulls a sense of whimsy out of her. While he is childish and frankly not a great person, for a short time he gives her that Cinderella life and it's hard not to get swept up in the ecstasy of it.
A large reason this movie works so well is Mikey Madison in the leading role. Being a sex worker, she has to bare it all, but she somehow always exudes confidence on screen. From what I've seen in interviews, Madison seems very soft spoken, but this performance is loud and bold and incredibly brave, never feeling vulnerable despite everything she needs to do on screen. It's truly one of the year's best performances, and no doubt a star making turn for her. The other big standout is Yura Borisov as Igor. Igor comes in as essentially a goon to help take Ani and Ivan to the courthouse, but his character becomes an absolute highlight of the film. He delivers some of the funniest lines, but also winds up bringing a lot of the heart especially towards the end of the film. It's a role that feels like it could have been unmemorable, but Borisov's ability to adapt to what winds up being a wild turn of events is just constantly hilarious. I had no idea what to expect from him, but I truly adored him here. Eydelshteyn is also pretty great, you can tell early on that Ivan is basically a man-child, but you can't help but be charmed by his immaturity thanks to how seemingly sweet this performance is. I also really loved Karren Karagulian and Vache Tovmasyan as the two who are really in charge of Ivan, they both play very well into the situational comedy, and while they don't hit the highs that Borisov does, they still have more than their fair share of memorable moments.
If you aren't one for sexual content in films, steer clear because right from the first shot you'll be seeing naked women and sex. It all serves the film though, and Baker films the more sexual content in a very tasteful way, never feeling like he's trying to make something exploitative. The film from start to finish is shot beautifully, and cinematographer Drew Daniels is a large reason some of the moments feel so fairytale like. The music is crucial as well, giving that dreamlike feel in some moments but also cranking up the frenzied nature of the chaotic second half or the strip club energy. There are a few moments towards the end where it felt like the energy dipped a bit, but the final moments of the film are damn near perfect making it well worth the fairly long runtime.
This is undoubtedly going to be a massive player during award season this year, and it could not be more earned. This is Sean Baker at his peak, delivering a truly beautiful story despite the messes at the heart of it, and the performances are simply terrific. One of the most surprisingly funny movies of the year, but one that also hits every emotional note you could want. 4.5/5
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