ANORA

Sean Baker has become a filmmaker known for connecting with audiences through the incredibly human stories he tells in his films, and Anora is just another to add to the list in that regard. Winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival earlier this year and arriving with plenty of festival buzz, it was always going to be interesting to see if it lived up to the hype.

Anora (Mikey Madison), a sex worker from Brooklyn, gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and marries Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn) the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as the parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled.

It gives me great pleasure to say that Anora not only lives up to the hype, it's also Sean Baker's best film to date and one of the best films of the year. Firing on all cylinders from the off, Baker's film drops us right into the titular character's daily routine of working in a strip club, utilising a montage - which are used wonderfully throughout the first half - to great effect. It settles you right into Anora's world and how she goes about making a living, some clientele needing a little more from her than others, based on what she finds out about them. Baker paints the world of a sex worker with such a human touch, rather than lens it all in such a demeaning manner.

It's an incredibly funny film too, the first half in particular laugh-a-minute as Anora and Ivan meet to begin their whirlwind romance. The worlds of a streetwise woman and naive rich boy collide in such spectacular fashion, none of it feeling like either is taking advantage of the other. Then comes the second half, where reality starts to hit and the colliding of worlds takes on a whole new meaning. Ivan's parents having such a high status back home sees them feel humiliated by their son's actions - the flip towards how people look down on sex workers such a compelling move from Baker. It becomes far more poignant as it reaches its conclusion yet Baker never forgets to keep the much needed humour present - the home invasion (of sorts) sequence being utterly brilliant.

Baker is a champion of bringing stories like this to life, even more so amidst the Hollywood landscape of endless sequels, reboots and remakes, and the work from all on Anora just symbolises the old school feel Hollywood seems to have lost a little. Drew Daniels' cinematography in particular emphasises this, the look and feel of every frame lived-in as opposed to the clean look many films go with these days.

At the forefront of Anora is a show stopping performance from Mikey Madison in the role that should set her up for big things in the future - following her already making an impression in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Scream. There's a fearlessness to her portrayal of Anora, fully committed to delivering a respectful eye into this particular world. It's a wonderfully balanced performance between confidence and vulnerability towards the latter stages, Madison never letting up when it comes to giving Anora that tough streak she possesses. 

While Madison runs away with the film, her supporting cast are all very good - with some incredible comedic timing on show. Mark Eydelshteyn brings a charming naivety to Ivan which makes him quite likeable from the moment you meet him yet, as the film moves along, you'll definitely be agreeing with Anora when it comes to his character. Karren Karagulian as Toros deserves a special shoutout too, as a fixer for Ivan's family so desperate to put things right that everything just keeps going wrong. He might deliver the single greatest "No." in cinema history.

Anora is an absolute delight and one of those films that will provide such pleasure on repeat viewings. Would be so good to see it get a push this awards season, Sean Baker and Mikey Madison in particular.

Verdict: ★★★★★