Sean Baker is one of my favorite independent directors working today. Based on the past three of his films I’ve seen, the guy has no misses. His films typically give glimpses into marginalized and misrepresented communities, particularly the realm of sex work. For the most part, I think Baker shows these facets of human life with both respect and objectivity, often feeling voyeuristic at times thanks to his utilization of unknown actors. Yet he also is never one to shy away from the absurdity of real life, crafting comedy that doesn’t punch down and never really feels exploitative despite the obvious exploitation film inspirations.

Anora manages to be both a progression of his style while also feeling like a bit of a detour. The legs of the film never buckle underneath the weight of bigger scope and budget, still maintaining the personal approach we’ve come to expect from him. This time around, the film feels like less of a snapshot of Americana like his other films, opting to be more character driven while sacrificing some of the introspection that can be found in past works. That being said, it does leave the door open for a ton of terrific comedic performances, not only making this his funniest film, but also potentially the funniest film of the entire year.  

Anora follows the titular exotic dancer who gets involved with a young, immature man flaunting a ton of money. As their relationship develops, she learns he is the son of a wealthy Russian Oligarch that has supplied him with a small fortune to study in America, but all he really wants to do is play video games, smoke weed, and hit up strip clubs. The money and status attracts Ani into pursuing a romantic relationship with him, eventually marrying the kid in Vegas. But of course, his family disapproves, and their relationship begins to unravel as associates of his parents try to do everything in their power to break them up.

You may recognize Mikey Madison from smaller roles in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Scream 5; bit roles that nonetheless showed the potential she possesses as an actor. Anora finally gives her a leading opportunity to prove her stuff, and she does not disappoint. The Brooklyn babe who prefers to go by Ani is fierce, funny and hard to pin down, with her motives never really becoming the clearest, even to her. Yet you can see what drives her; she’s looking to break free from her dead end gig as a nudey dancer that she’s willing to goad herself into believing in romance just to escape it. While the role doesn’t get as deep into those themes throughout, it’s still hard to deny the working class pipe dream she experiences resonates with a lot of us. Madison sells all of it, delivering a relatable performance that suddenly kicks you right in the ass in an impactful final scene. The self-delusion of her situation never feels like a forced plot device or an unrealistic arc, and that 100 percent comes down to Baker’s respectful directing and Madison’s earnest performance.

But her performance is only one side of this coin, as another is made up of the outstanding supporting roles that help make this film an absolute riot. Mark Eydelshteyn plays Anora’s childish sugar daddy Ivan in a way that is more or less what you’d expect; a rich boy indifferent to consequences and responsibility. Yet there are glimpses where you believe this could be a runaway romance story, but I won’t spoil exactly where that goes. But then there are the incredible performances of Yura Borisov, Karren Karagulian and Vache Tovmasyan as the hired hands in charge of wrangling Ivan. Holy hell, once these three enter the film, it all flies completely off the rails in the best way possible. Each brings something different to the table, with Borisov’s quiet confusion, Karagulian’s explosive outbursts, and Tovmasyan’s perc’d up sheepishness. These three are an absolute blast that dominate the middle of this film, completely flipping my expectations and sending the film into high gear.

You may think you know how this film will play out based on synopsis or trailers, and maybe I’m just dumb, but this surprised the hell out of me in the most welcoming way possible. The first act feels like a budding romance film, with two characters attracted to one another for their services and money respectfully. A potential genuine love begins to blossom, and the two learn that they’ll have to fight for their right to be together against powerful forces looking to control their life. But then the film just says fuck that and turns into a high octane, screwball comedy complete with slapstick and a metric ton of swearing. I was genuinely caught off guard by how funny this film was. I know Baker has comedic talents, evident by his previous film Red Rocket, but good lord, this has some of the best executed laughs I have seen all year. There’s an extended home invasion sequence that just keeps getting funnier and funnier as Ani lashes out at the henchmen while they do everything in their power not to hurt her. The film transforms into a game of cat and mouse that keeps the laughs coming, and by the time the third act rolls around, it’s more or less back to business wrapping everything up in a fitting but expected finale.

Like I said before, this film feels like less of a snapshot of a particular type of community or way of life and is way more narrative dependent. It’s definitely similar to the aforementioned Red Rocket, but even that film’s tiny Texas town felt like a character in its own right. That’s not to say Anora doesn’t possess a solid representation of Russian-occupied Brooklyn or the life of a night butterfly, but it does feel a bit more like window dressing this time around. That’s not a terrible thing, as the film still does substantial work in destigmatizing sex workers, though it’s not the forefront mission. And maybe that wasn’t needed considering the rest of Baker’s filmography does exactly that, and it certainly didn’t hurt my enjoyment in the slightest. 

If you get the chance, I would highly recommend catching Anora as soon as it becomes available to you. It’s possibly Baker’s most approachable film, yet it never sacrifices the grounded but colorful style the director is known for. It gets unbelievably funny but knows when to shrink its scope to focus on its touching and heart aching moments. Not much left to say other than it’s easily one of the best films of the year that will have you tipping your strippers a little extra this holiday season.

RATING

PINK RUSSIAN

The Pink Russian is a bit of a riff on the White Russian, which substitutes coffee flavors for chocolate and almond, alongside the modification of strawberry cream. This creates a delicious dessert cocktail that’s incredibly approachable, sweet and a tad fruity. A perfect winter or post-Vegas wedding drink, and even if you come to regret the marriage, you’ll never regret having this!

INGREDIENTS

• 2oz vanilla vodka
• 1oz strawberry cream
• 1/2oz creme de cacao
• 1/2oz amaretto

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add all ingredients to a rocks glass filled with ice. Stir to combine.