Directed by Sean Baker

Sean Baker’s Ani in five words or less: Messy, reckless (feverish), gorgeous, at times devastating, and totally mesmerizing. Anora moves with the same energy as it’s star.

Anora/Ani (Mikey Madison) is an erotic dancer who meets Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn), the heir to a Russian oligarch, when he comes into her club and requests someone who speaks Russian. And so begins a wild two-week stretch that launches as a modern-day fairytale-style romance and concludes with a series of heartbreaking lessons in trust, desperation, and the power of wealth & betrayal.

The plot

After their interaction at the club and a few invitations to his (parent’s) mansion, 21-year-old Ivan is smitten with Ani and hires her to “be his girlfriend” for a week, during which they storm around Coney Island with his friends, drink incessantly, throw extravagant parties, charter a jet to Las Vegas, and eventually get married in an off-the-strip wedding chapel. Ani quits her job (while loudly reminding her former co-workers that “jealousy is a disease”, lol) and moves in with Ivan, but the bliss isn’t destined to last.

Until this point, we’ve been watching a (much more explicit) 2020’s rendition of Pretty Woman, including some real slice of cheese, rom-com shots of the couple kissing, etc. But now, we’re introduced to the second half of the plot, rife with pain and misery, a dramatic tonal shift spurred by Ivan’s parents and their henchmen entering the world of the story.

As soon as they learn of the marriage, his parents begin planning for the annulment. When Ivan’s godfather Toros (frequent Baker collaborator Karren Karagulian), and his hired help Garnik (Vache Tovmasyan) and Igor (Yura Borisov) arrive at the house, Ivan escapes, leaving a terrified but defiant Ani alone. Note: This is when Madison’s acting chops really reveal themselves.

The rest of the plot revolves around this quartet searching for Ivan so they can get him back to Vegas to sign the annulment paperwork — Toros furiously, Ani reluctantly, Garnik & Igor obediently. When he’s finally found, Ivan is transformed, unraveled at the demand of his family: His bravado gone, his fierce impulsivity lost, and Ani left behind with them.

But despite the inevitable collapse, despite the insults, she never loses her dignity. She’s scrappy, quick to defend herself, and strong. The closing scenes show us someone tired, facing the grim future she thought she’d left behind, deeply hurt, and changed by her experience — but not someone broken. Ani is never a victim, now she’s just carrying the weight of everything that’s happened to her.

THE Use of color

Baker uses reds and blues throughout the landscape of this film as a symbolic portrayal of the American Dream. Red, especially, is found in nearly every shot, and we’re often shown the colors in contrast.

There is a thread (pun) running through the second and third acts: A red scarf. Taken from the hall closet in Ivan’s mansion, it’s first used to gag Ani so she’ll stop screaming. Then, when the group is out searching for Ivan in the cold, it’s offered to her for warmth by Igor. At the end, Ivan’s mother demands it back and Ani complies, throwing it away with contempt. From an object of control to a representation of Ani’s anger with the Zakharov family, the scarf takes a full turn around the metaphorical cycle of symbolism.

Final thoughts

Anora will test your emotions. Baker knows what he’s doing.

Ani is fighting for a fantasy that never existed, only to realize, too late, that Ivan was not her ticket out. And in the final scenes, when you’ll notice muted colors replacing the once-vibrant reds and blues, we’re watching the death of a dream. In the final cut to black, Baker gives us no answers, only the heaviness of everything Ani’s been through and everything she will still endure. It’s left to each of us to determine her future.

There are criticisms that Anora‘s characters are one-dimensional and/or lack connection to the material. I find this to be totally unwarranted. This is the story of wealth vs. poverty, hope vs. despair, and ultimately the triumph of spirit. Anora walks the super-fine line between crude comedy, violent thriller, and deeply watchable character story.

Update: Anora swept the 97th Academy Awards, with Sean Baker winning Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing, Mikey Madison winning Best Actress in a Leading Role, and the film winning Best Picture. Baker’s speech after his director win is worth watching. Here’s the link.

This movie is good.

My rating: 4/5

Read this post on Substack.