Maya Sasaki-George ’28
Contributing Writer
Sean Baker’s “Anora,” shown at Cinestudio February 16-19, is a whirlwind of light, color and sound. It’s a complex, challenging film that perverts our vision of the American Dream and holds up a mirror to modern society. “Anora” depicts the life of a young sex worker, Ani (Mikey Madison), who finds herself pulled into a world of riches, luxury and excess when she falls in love with the son of a wealthy Russian oligarch. Advertised as a vibrant, dazzling romantic-comedy, the film spends its first act in nightclubs, private jets and fancy hotel rooms, as Ani and Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn) bask in the drug of their fairy-tale romance. Vanya is impossibly charming, proposing to Ani after only a week. Ani, bewitched by the glamor of his opulent world, accepts. This perfect facade begins to fracture as news of Vanya’s marriage reaches his parents back in Russia. They demand their son get an immediate annulment from the woman they see as unfit for his station. The violence lurking in every corner of the film’s shiny exterior is rapidly laid bare and Ani is forced to fight tooth and claw to cling to her promised fantasy.
Fans of Sean Baker will be familiar with his propensity for gritty realism and excessively vulgar dialogue; “Anora” is no exception to these trademarks, exploring the similar themes of sexual objectification, the violence of poverty, societal disillusionment and perseverance against all odds touched on in his other films. The latter half of “Anora” follows a singular hellish night, as Ani’s understanding of her identity, her husband and her future are all thrown into question. In the heart-pounding, stress-nightmare final act of “Anora,” Ani must choose what she will risk it all for: the chance for true love or the endurance of self-respect.
Madison and Eydelshteyn have incredible onscreen chemistry, a dynamic at the core of the film. While the audience is first spellbound by Eydelshteyn’s puppy-dog charm and glamorous air, it is Madison’s performance that truly stuns. Despite the notable achievements of both learning Russian and how to speak in Ani’s thick Brooklyn accent for the role, what shines through most in every scene is Madison’s acting talent and respect for the character. She is able to tug on the heartstrings with a single look and bring us cheering from our seats with every defiant monologue. Yura Borisov, playing Vanya’s henchman Igor, also left an impression, managing to portray the film’s most simultaneously violent and sensitive character. While kept as a minor character for most of the film, it is Borisov’s final scenes with Madison that truly make the film for me. I left the screening of “Anora” feeling distinctly queasy and inexpressibly moved; I could not recommend it more. The one criticism I have for the film is that it plays to a very specific audience, and those not drawn in by Baker’s style may find it unnecessarily vulgar and disturbing. “Anora” has received six Oscars, including “Best Motion Picture.” Sean Baker won “Best Screenplay,” “Best Director,” and “Best Editing”; Mikey Madison won for “Best Lead Actress.” The film is streaming on YouTube, Amazon Prime and Apple TV.
[…] Review: “Anora” at Cinestudio […]