Anora

 

“If I get married to an American I won’t have to go back to Russia.”

Wild, feisty and sexy, Anora shines as an explosive showcase for the magnetic Mikey Madison in an escalating cascade of events as it explores the ethics of the American Dream and the thin line between lust and love in a chaotic and comedic emotional explosion. 

Discussion Points:

Anora is propulsive with an escalating series of events playing out almost like a Coen/Safdie brothers movie. People out of their depth, getting way in over their heads, and trying to swim to keep their heads above water, whilst pulling others down in their own selfish attempts of self-preservation. Mikey Madison is tenacious as Anora, a sex worker who never lets anyone get too close, but after falling for the adorkable Ivanya, played with great immaturity by Mark Eydelshteyn she ends up getting pulled into the excessive lifestyle of the Russian playboy. Then everything spirals as his parents demand an annulment and send three bumbling goons to make it happen played brilliantly by Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan and the wonderfully balanced Yura Borisov (who becomes the heart of the film). What starts as a sex romcom romp escalates into a screwball comedy and then into an emotional family drama before finishing as a nuanced character study of a woman who sells love but has never truly received any in return and doesn’t know how to when she might. Sean Baker, no stranger to taking taboo topics and showing their human side, continues to tell the stories of people overlooked by society and his direction, screenplay and editing are all expectedly great. A sexy, funny, fierce, chaotic, emotional, vivacious explosion.