Even without its brutal chill, New York City is known to be a harsh place. Even more so, if you are unfortunate enough to not possess the bare minimum resources to breathe in its outskirts. At first glance, Sean Bakers’s immensely persuasive and captivating ‘Anora’, comes off as a hilarious film when in reality there is so much more to it than meets the eye. It is stuffed with cleverly planned, action-packed scenes with fast-paced witty dialogue. However, one can sense the New York coldness that is buried deep within even when this film tends to mask it. Overall, what Baker presents is something that goes above and beyond a piece of art. It is true movie magic. It is his calculated architecture of the urban layout that leaves you laughing and crying at the same wonder (for example, within the same scene), that differentiates Baker. That is while still making sure we remember the pain that is coming to the surface.
To put it differently, ‘Anora’ is filled with the same excitement that we have observed continuously in the movies of Baker, the most humanist of today’s filmmakers. There’s laughter next to tears. There’s comedy amidst horror. Baker has, often with remarkable wisdom and compassion, pointed out the necessity of dealing with the stigma of many social issues. He has also tackled topics of sex work and sex workers in his previous stories. But, ‘Anora’, which is centered on the titular escort, isn’t about that. Rather, it exists on a different level. And this isn’t because the movie offends us, but more accurately, because it throws us off guard even though it’s obvious that it’s coming for our hearts and souls.
At the start, we are introduced to Mikey Madison’s lively character Ani (Anora). It is clear to us that she makes a living out of exotic dancing and sex work. Her lifestyle is modest and she works in a strip club without the hope of a knight in shining armor to rescue her. She attends to her clients and fights with the girls within the same industry. Some of them are actually friends while others are enemies. However, there is some element of Cinderella in this tale, and so there is a knight that comes one day. He is Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn), the Russian oligarch’s son. One night, he hires Ani and they instantly click, despite Ivan being all over the place in terms of personality. This raises the question, does he have some sort of condition? It doesn’t really matter, though; all you need to know is he quickly becomes her American fantasy. In one scene, he is heard moaning, ‘God Bless America!’ where we gain the final hint that solidifies him as her fantasy. She, in return, turns into his generous high-roller, bringing her out to his lavish seaside mansion in Brooklyn. She extends her kindness to him and his family in a giant way. The place, constructed with utmost attention to detail, was made by production designer Stephen Phelps, and kind of like Ivan.
The location did have immense wealth surrounding it but nonetheless looked off. Even so, the two do manage to enjoy some time during and after their business meetings. Suddenly, Ivan made it clear that he wanted to get engaged while they were on vacation in Las Vegas.
Despite being with Ivan, one of the fathers on an extended business trip, there is some free and enjoyable shopping to do, but things start to get serious and comical later on when Ivan’s family finds out he got married to a high-class escort. In a bid to remove the marriage, they contact a local priest called Toros who is kept by the family to deal with their out-of-control son. Yes, he does spend a lot, plays video games, and makes things difficult. They do keep a little control over him. To assist him, two dim-witted thugs called Garnick and Igor are ordered to evacuate Anora from the house. They have no idea what kind of challenge awaits them because she is a fighter and has a lot more guts than any of them think.
Sticking with writer-director Baker (and his producer wife, Samantha Quan), one of their many talents is casting, and one wonders if Madison’s steel-like short but impactful appearance on “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood” was good enough to have earned her the title for this project. Simply put, Madison is easily among this year’s best performers. As Anora, she is simply a force of nature like you would remember from the Quentin Tarantino picture, angry, fiery, fierce, and tough as nails. In this case, however, she carries a hint of vulnerability. Something she for some reason manages to disguise from most people. But not from us, and definitely not from Igor. Entering Anora’s dwelling as a thug-for-hire starting off in the middle of a beautifully rendered real-time home invasion, which is both comedically exhilarating and intricately executed, Igor starts off looking for something delicate in Anora. Having been fortunate enough to feel what Baker was feeling, Igor props the clever filmmaker pulls a few strings to ensure all of us get exposed to what he indeed perceives.
These feelings blend in quite well in the context of the film’s emotional chases in the snowy streets of Brooklyn and Manhattan which are lovingly captured on film, albeit with limited colors, by Daniels. The dark corners of New York City that most people never get the chance to see become alive because of his cameraman’s sharp eyes. If you have never been to New York City, then you will struggle to believe that this is the New York City from the 70’s cinematic history.
Now it is time to talk about marital joy. If your partner in crime happens to be Ivan, then it is clear that there was never any hope for marital enjoyment to begin with. Baker’s films center around class and the same idea settles throughout “Anora” when it becomes evident that the people who are presumed to be Ani’s foes are pathetic pawns being exploited by Ivan’s family. A bond begins to form, willingly or unwillingly, among the group. It is quite beautiful watching the silent solidarity.
“Anora” gives the audience a plethora of feelings from gut-wrenching sadness to thrilling excitement. While the ending of the film will leave you dumbfounded and shocked, you will be glad to know that every character will have some semblance of hope. The touch with which Baker delivered the film speaks volumes to how much he put into detailing every character in the movie. That’s the humanistic side of him showcased throughout the film.
Watch free movies on Fmovies.
