ANORA

US, 2024, 139 minutes, Colour.

Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn,  Vache Toymasyan, Karren Karagulian, Yura Borisov.

Directed by Sean Baker.

Winner of the Palme D’Or at Cannes, 2024, enthusiastic reviews, many award nominations, Anora is a very much talked-about film.

However, there are some films in a reviewer’s experience that do not resonate at all and the challenge of how to write a fair review. This is the case for this reviewer and Anora

This reviewer hasseen writer-director, Sean Baker’s other films, small, independent, down-to-earth, several focusing on sex workers, Tangerine, Starlet, Florida Project. And here, Anora is a lap dancer, sex worker/escort in the Russian area of New York City. The plotline is quite basic and straightforward, Anora encountering a rich young son of a Russian oligarch, escort, attraction, proposal, Las Vegas marriage – displeasure of the young man’s minders and his parents, their challenging the marriage, rough arm tactics for Anora, these tactics prevailing  and winning.

The running time is two hours 20 minutes, quite a long time to spend with Anora and Ivan, self-indulgent, irresponsible, let loose in the United States, defying his parents and their thug  minders.

Many of the reviews highlight how funny the film is, especially the clashes between Anora and the tough Russians. That will definitely depend on your sense of humour, appreciation of farce and sense of the ridiculous. Reviews also praise the performance of Mikey Madison as Anora, definitely entering into the dramatics, the farce, the fiery confrontations.

Perhaps the best way to describe what happens and its tone is to highlight that there are three acts, so to speak, in the film. The first act is focusing on Anora, who work at the club, her friends, her clients, the encounter with Ivan, his infatuation, Las Vegas and the marriage – all accompanied by sexual exhilaration, hangers-on friends, self-indulgence as a philosophy of life, couldn’t-care-less irresponsibility (and a huge bill for all their destructive mess of their Las Vegas suite).

The second act is the response of the Russian minders in New York City, dismay at learning what Ivan has been up to, confronting him – and his running away – and the fiery encounter, at great, great, length with Anora. Much of this combat seems to be improvised, the   director really enjoying the set up and filming, and continuing to film. Anora is one of those types who can give as good as she gets (at times better) and this whole confrontation has the atmosphere of farce.

The third act is the confrontation with the oligarch but, more forcefully, with his dominating wife, rounding up the ineffectual and cowardly Ivan, dealing with Anora and her defiance, everybody against her except one of the thugs, whom she treats violently, but who has feelings for her. Anora doesn’t win this encounter with the Russians – but, at the end, she is certainly not down and out.

Later looking at other reviews and blogging, there are many opposite opinions about Anora, some highly enthusiastic, others not so favourable, some rather critical, with which this reviewer identifies.

1. Popular acclaim? Critical acclaim and awards?
2. New York, the world clubs, neighbourhoods, mansions, the glitter and extravagance of Las Vegas, the Wedding Chapel, the world of the Russian oligarchs, the courts?
3. The writer-director, his career, independent filmmaking, the focus on sex workers and sexuality? Issue of class? International comparisons, US/Russia?
4. The structure of the film, the first focus on sexuality, the next on the extravagance, the next on the conflict, the final on the resolution?
5. Anora, her story, age, background, family acceptance, work in the club, exotic dancing, escorts, the management, the other women, friendships and clashes, the clientele?
6. The Russians, Ivan, his age, background, oligarchs, visiting the US, extravagant, the encounter with Ani, her response, successful, his asking for her again, for the week, the financial deal? His sexual appetite? Immaturity? Watching the computer games? His friends, the drugs, the flight to Las Vegas, their behaviour, the bill for damages? The proposal, Ani and her response, the touch of Cinderella, the Chapel, the marriage, back to New York?
7. The Russians, Toros and his role in keeping an eye on Ivan, not knowing about Las Vegas, the news of the wedding, his presence at the baptism, the religious dimensions, the interaction, his leaving an apology, driving, Garnic and Igor, their role, the confrontation with-and Ani, Ivan, irresponsibility, running away and hiding?
8. The long sequence of Ani confronting the two men, her violent reaction, language, biting, the vase, the destruction? Been tied up? Going and his broken nose, Igor and the bite? The phone calls, trying to control Ani? Torres and his arrival, his stance, wanting her untied, underestimating her violent reaction? The interchanges, her determination, gradually warm down? The phone calls, trying to find Ivan?
9. The search for Ivan, the club, the ensuing fight, the computer games, eventually finding him?
10. The parents, their flying to the US, the dominating mother, the nonchalant father and his observing? The confrontation with Ivan, mother’s boy, his response? Ani and her continued interventions, despised by the mother? Ani standing her ground, the issue of the divorce, Torres and the financial settlement, Ani and her final estimation of Ivan? A totally weak character?
11. The lawyers, the American court, the hearing, Ani and her continued interventions, Toros and she shouldn’t speak, Ivan and his hangover? The realisation that the annulment would have to take place in Las Vegas? The flight, the hearing, Ani and her reaction? The papers? The mother, and in the confrontation and Ivan’s father laughing?
12. Igor, his attention towards Ani, the bite, the fight, her sitting on him, gagging her, tying her up? It sympathy? At the court, giving her the ring, her reaction, the encounter in the car? A future?