CANNES – The “Anora” in Sean Baker’s latest creation is actually the birth name of Ani (Mikey Madison), a private dancer who works in a pretty nice strip club in New York City. Sure, the hours ain’t ideal, and there’s that long subway ride back to the rundown duplex she shares with her sister in Brighton Beach, but she’s not complaining. She likes her job, even if one of her co-workers is a jealous b**ch (there’s always one). That all changes one night when the club’s boss asks her to dance for Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn), a wealthy Russian kid who has the innocent magnetism of an energizer bunny. She has no idea what a rabbit hole she’s about to be sucked into.
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For the first 45 minutes or so of “Anora,” Ani enters a fairy tale. After their initial dance at the club, Ivan invites her for a private appointment at his family’s swanky multi-million dollar home. And then asks her to come back the next day and then to attend his New Year’s Eve party. Ani drags her friend Lulu (Luna Sofia Miranda) along, and they experience an extravagant, over-the-top night that makes her strip club life seem tame. After spending the night with Ivan (their first), he gives her an unexpected proposition to her: be his girlfriend for the week. Somewhat taken aback, she sort of realizes she can’t turn it down. Plus, why would she? He’s adorable, fun, and seems like a harmless 21-year-old who could use some more experience with the ladies. And, most importantly, he’s paying too. Oh, wait. His father is a world-famous Russian Oligarch who could be a dangerous drug or arms dealer? Eh, who cares, the family is back in Russia, half a world away. This is America. They have no power here. This is America!
The days that follow are a whirlwind of sex and rambunctious partying. Ivan even flips the script and flies Ani and all his friends out to Las Vegas where they live it up in a gigantic casino suite and gamble Papa’s money away. Before the weekend (and that negotiated week) ends, Ivan spontaneously asks Ani to marry him. They are in Vegas, after all. And, after throwing caution to the wind and saying “yes,” Ani thinks her life has changed forever. I mean, not wrong, Ani. Not wrong.
The newlyweds are barely back in New York before Ivan’s parents learn about their new daughter-in-law through the Russian tabloids. When Ivan ignores their calls, they reach out to one of their local handlers, Toros (longtime Baker collaborator Karren Karagulian), who grabs his associates Garnick (Vache Tovmasyan) and Igor (Yuriy Borisov) to determine what exactly is going on. The trio invades Ivan’s home, and after Ivan finds a way of escaping out the front door, they effectively hold Ani hostage. Of course, they wouldn’t characterize it as this. Toros just thinks he’s cleaning up another one of Ivan’s messes. Something he’s been doing since the kid was seven years old. Eventually, after Ani has been tied up and gagged to keep her quiet (this is supposed to be somewhat funny, it’s, um, not), she’s forcibly convinced to help them track down her missing husband. The parents want this marriage annulled, and she has no choice in the matter (I mean, she’s a 25-year-old adult, she sorta does, but we digress…). The quartet then takes a road trip around the greater New York City Metro while Ivan’s parents private jet races across the Atlantic.
It goes without saying that Baker has crafted his most entertaining movie since 2015’s “Tangerine,” but that comes with some awkward caveats. Some of the character choices don’t always fly (especially that aforementioned moment with Ani’s “captors”), and there is also an underlying tension with the Russian thugs that initially makes it hard to laugh even when that appears to be Baker’s intention. Then there’s that telegraphed connection between Ani and Igor that you see coming a mile away but strains credibility. He has, after all, essentially been a party to assaulting and kidnapping her (something Ani thankfully verbalizes to anyone listening). But Toros and Garnick are often so incompetent it’s all sorta funny, right? Right?
His second collaboration with cinematographer Drew Daniels, “Anora,” is also the most commercial-looking film Baker has made to date. That’s not a knock on the slick, polished aesthetic; it works. Especially for the strip club scenes that pop without looking like a Hollywood soundstage (it was, indeed, a real location) and the side trips to Vegas. If this is a new direction for Baker, we’re here for it.
For all the questions you’ll have over Ani’s choices (girl, get a lawyer), it’s the actors alongside Madison who carry “Anora” across the finish line. It’s a transformative moment for the “Better Things” star, who portrays Ani with an unflinching charisma. On the other hand, the fresh-faced Eydelshteyn appears to be the second coming of Timothée Chalamet. At least in terms of potential star power. And Borisov, who was superb in “Compartment No. 6,” has the unenviable task of making Igor sympathetic and he’s talented enough to almost pull it off. None of this should be a surprise, though. While Baker has proven his worth as a true cinematic auteur, his greatest skill has been guiding his actors to new heights wherever his stories may take them. You’ll have to decide if that’s enough to gloss over the rough patches this time around. [B-/C+]
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