A New York stripper named Ani (Mikey Madison) is called upon to please a young Russian with loads of cash named Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn). He tries speaking English, but is more comfortable with Russian. Ani is the other way around. The pair hit it off however, both sexually and intimately, enough for Vanya to propose marriage to Ani. She agrees and they get hitched in Vegas. When those close to Vanya hear of the news, things get quite hectic in writer-director Sean Baker's comedy-drama, "Anora".
To say things get hectic is actually an understatement. When I first heard about this film, outside of its universal acclaim, I was under the impression that this was essentially a new variation on "Pretty Woman". And at first, that's what it appears to be. We see Madison as the titular character, aka Ani, doing good at her job and looking out for her clients. Madison is very likable as Ani with how she uses her blunt street smarts to get what she needs in a way that's agreeable to all involved.
She's truly working it in the stripping segments selling her sexual appeal with confidence and skill. As a character, you can relate to Ani's plight in going after the big paycheck and understand why she makes the decisions that she does. Then just when you think the happy ending to her story is apparent around half an hour in, hilarious melodrama ensues of which she's at the center stage. For Vanya's parents never approved of his marriage or spending habits with their money.
Therefore, Vanya's godfather Toros (Karren Karagulian) alongside his henchmen have to interfere and help his parents with annulling their marriage. Vanya ends up fleeing the premises as Ani attempts fending off and fighting their oppressive behavior. I'll admit that the section of the film involving Ani, Toros and the henchmen's searching for Vanya can get a tad repetitive, with the same things being said over and over with occasional variation.
For the most part though, there are plenty of humorous hijinks and exchanges between Ani and the henchmen. Even as they're breaking countless rules and laws in their pursuit of Vanya, the interactions are worth relishing with how much the henchmen lose their sanity and willpower. A vast majority of the script and dialogue feels organic, authentic and true to the characters that inhabit the main story. I must admit however that this film could've easily ended 10 to 20 minutes earlier.
Without giving anything away, there's another relationship being focused on between Ani and someone else. Whether you get into this ending as it is depends on how this relationship works for you. And for me, I didn’t feel that this connection was earned, based on the buildup to this moment beforehand. It was already an awkward setup between these two characters anyways. Where these two end up however feels forced in a way that doesn't make much sense, considering what we know about them.
Nitpicks with specific areas of the narrative aside, "Anora" deserves the acclaim it has received. Not quite at the level that critics seem to love it. But make no mistake. There's a spark and freshness with Mikey Madison's performance as our lead that's unmistakable. It makes me eager to see what future roles Madison has in store down the pipeline. A definitive highlight within this year, "Anora" boasts impressive meat underneath its alluring exterior.
Final Verdict: 8.5/10
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