Anora, Tied at the Top
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5)
I haven’t liked a Sean Baker film since 2015’s “Tangerine.” A homie of mine, from the greater Toronto area, scored some public tickets and persuaded me to join him in seeing Baker’s latest, “Anora.” Honestly, I saw it as a chance to spend time with my friend, that’s it. Our annual meetups are fleeting in the craziness of TIFF. So stomaching a movie, by a filmmaker whose films I’m not fond of, surely would be worth it. I actually would have made time to see it as a press screening. Having won Cannes Film Festival’s prestigious Palme d’Or, I’d be remiss. You just don’t miss those. From start to finish, though, I was pleasantly surprised.
Comparing it to “Tangerine,” “Anora” is a true return to form. The relatable heartache, adrenaline drive and madcap angst while trolling the city, exist in both films and is a delight. The determination and strong will of lead character, Ani, fuel the film’s spirit and keeps it extremely alive.
Writer/director, Sean Baker (well-known for The Florida Project), gives us Ani, a Brighton Beach stripper, who meets young and hedonistic Ivan, son of a wealthy Russian tycoon. Sparks fly as the two spend more and more time together. They marry, but their whirlwind romance is interrupted when three of the family’s hired goons arrive (per instructions of Ivan’s father). Ivan flees and an adventurous pursuit ensues.
Mikey Madison is outstanding as Ani. Other notable performances include Yura Borisov and Vache Tovmasyan as hired hands - who on the surface, are menacing, but their actions soon take a somewhat slapstick and comedic turn.
Vehemently refusing to be intimidated, and at the same time, vowing the validity of Ivan’s and her marriage, Ani stands up to Toros (Baker favorite Karren Karagulian). She shows Garnick and Igor (the men assigned to keep her in check) her backbone in one of the most intelligently choreographed scenes that turn a potentially imminent attack into something less intense and suddenly hilarious. That said, the intentions of the men are not, and never were, harmful. These two are practically goons with a heart. It takes viewing the scene to grasp its true cleverness. The brilliant Mikey Madison breathes a fiery fierceness in her performance as Ani, as well as a beautiful vulnerability that only the audience is privileged to see.
Decadent partying, a lavish Brooklyn mansion and a New York City strip club are vibrantly real through cinematographer Drew Daniels’ lens.
Award winning DP, Drew Daniels, does a marvelous job with the camera as he shows us the less glamorous parts of town. You can feel the bite of New York City’s bitter cold winter through his skillful eye as Ani and the hired hoods seek out Ivan.
Final thoughts:
“Anora” is rowdy, thrilling - and at times exhilarating - but still packs an emotional punch. There is a lot of magic in this film. The biggest being some of the most relatable characters, particularly Ani and Igor. Ultimately, you find humanity in all the central characters. Relatability is something I could never find in some of Sean Baker’s previous work. Except for “Tangerine,” which is still a masterpiece. At the end of “Anora,” I remarked to my homie, “I now have two favorite Sean Baker films.”
