By Keith Walther | Rose Law Group Reporter
First and foremost, let’s get this out of the way. “Anora” should not be considered a Best Picture candidate like many have been professing. This is a quality romantic comedy with solid storytelling at its core propelled by a fiery performance from its lead actress, but its predictability keeps it from achieving greatness. Think of it as a modern, unfiltered version of “Pretty Woman.”
Living in New York City is not cheap, and some women like Anora (Mikey Madison) turn to exotic dancing/prostitution to make ends meet. It’s a hustle and Anora is quite good at it. When she meets a Russian oligarch’s son named Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn) at her club, she allows herself to be swept off her feet in an exciting whirlwind of a romance. Caught up in the moment, the spontaneous couple find themselves married in Las Vegas.
Reality strikes when Ivan’s powerful parents, Nikolai (Aleksey Serebryakov) and Galina (Darya Ekamasova), learn the news in Russia. They immediately send their trusted caregiver, Toros (Karren Karagulian), to stave off the embarrassment of their son wedding a sex worker and force the newlyweds to immediately annul their marriage. Even with Toros’ hired thugs of Garnick (Vache Tovmasyan) and Igor (Yura Borisov), Anora proves to be feistier than they’re prepared to handle.
Writer/director Sean Baker has had some decent success with independent films like “Red Rocket” and “The Florida Project,” but “Anora” is his crowning achievement thus far in his young career. He fashions a strong, compelling tale that features real and flawed characters, taking the film in a different direction from the typical romantic genre storyline. He then wraps these flawed characters in a warm embrace of sex, drug use, nudity, and profanity that accentuates their relatable vulnerabilities. As intoxicating as the main characters come across, Baker errs by introducing subplots and side characters that don’t contribute in any meaningful way to the main storyline. By not editing these scenes out, it drags the movie at certain points, making it feel longer than it should.
One of the more positively surprising elements of this movie is the hilarious comedy Baker introduces via both dialogue and physical comedy. There are several laugh out loud moments strewn through the middle of the film that catch the audience off guard in a pleasant way. Baker avoids this from becoming a silly affair by placing an obvious focus on authenticity. He purposefully brings in Russian and Armenian born actors who have not only demonstrated themselves as capable actors abroad, but also speak Russian and English fluently, making their natural speech and accent more than a stereotypical caricature that is normally seen in American made films. Baker does telegraph the ending with not-so-subtle techniques that leave viewers annoyed at the simplistic love triangle approach yet satisfied.
The truly wonderful surprise is the arrival of Mikey Madison, who has a career propelling performance in the title role. She has previously made minor waves in smaller roles like 2022’s “Scream” and “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood,” so seeing her break out in a starring role like this is truly rewarding. The young Los Angeles born actress embodies the spirit of a true New Yorker with her gruff, no-nonsense attitude and a colorful vocabulary. She demonstrates dynamic range from exuding power to moments of soft vulnerability. This could very well earn her an Oscar nomination.
The supporting cast is perfectly suited for their respective roles, adding a layer of credibility that can’t be denied. Russian born actors Mark Eydelshteyn and Yura Borisov shine in very different ways. Mark plays the boisterous, spoiled party animal who hasn’t had to work a day in his life, exhibiting a snobby shallowness but still manages to be endearing with his youthful charm. Yura’s character is a polar opposite, imbuing a quiet, stoic reserve that initially keeps the audience off balance not knowing if he’s going to explode with a violent temperament. As the story unfolds, he shows depth to his character, displaying a gentle honorability and empathy that turns him into a fan favorite.
While the film may not be Oscar quality, the performance from Mikey Madison certainly is, making this worth a trip to the theater. This is another winner from NEON, who has had a big year already with films like “Longlegs” and “Cuckoo.” Be warned though, “Anora” contains strong language and a lot of nudity, so if you find this offensive in any way, this may not be the movie for you.
This movie earns:
