33/46
Synopsis
Anora, a young sex worker from Brooklyn, meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch
When news reaches Russia, her fairy tale is threatened when his parents head to New York to annul the marriage. IMDb editor Arno Kazarian offers quick thoughts on 12 films he screened at the 2024 New York Film Festival, including Anora and the dangerously erotic Misericordia. At the Cannes Film Festival press conference, Mikey Madison said that director Sean Baker would act out different sexual positions with his wife, producer Samantha Quan, to demonstrate to the actors what he wanted them to do. Igor: PLEASE! STOP! SCREAMING!.
Referenced in Close-Up: Anora (2024)
The hype surrounding Anora is colossal, and it delivered. I had no idea what to expect going into it, other than I was combining all three of Sean Baker’s other films in my head and thinking that maybe it would be somewhere in the middle of all of them (The Florida Project, Red Rocket, and Tangerine – all great films, by the way, and all about sex workers). It had some similar tones and focuses, but otherwise Anora was a whole new beast in its own right. I would say that in terms of the core of the film, it has a LOT more Safdie Brothers than I expected! Lots of people yelling at each other for a long time! Very tense!
You have your party, your conflict, and your conclusion
The film sort of moves in three acts, as many great films do. I had a feeling at the beginning that it would be a bit like Boogie Nights in structure, and I’d say that was pretty spot on. Without giving too much away, I will say that the ending made the whole film for me, and my girlfriend agreed. You get a 2 hour experience that is mostly funny and mostly fascinating, that all feels a bit pulpy but still offers a lot of very accurate details about the sex work experience, but it all feels fun until you get to the end. Instead of an ending that wraps things up nicely in a nice little bow, it’s an ending that unties the bow, opens the box, and leaves you with the RAW reality of it all. I was a bit taken aback by the very specific energy in the packed room as the silent credits started to roll and people began to slowly (very quietly) file out of the auditorium.
Mikey Madison is fantastic as Anora
When I saw the ads for the movie, I expected a bubbly, sweet girl – but she plays a tough, sassy, feisty woman who is VERY New York, and it was a pleasant surprise. Anora is a generally likable character, but not always, and that only adds to her humanity and the overall realism and complexity of her functionality as the main character. You’re going on a rollercoaster of ups and downs with her, and the depth feels very real. She’s also extremely HOT and there’s SO MUCH SEX in this movie. The entire cast is fantastic, but new faces Mark Eidelshtein and Yura Borisov make the biggest impressions as capable actors who deserve much more casting in the future. Eidelshtein stole the show as the most believable rich kid on the rampage ever, and Borisov’s subtle presence was loud AF without needing to say much.
It’s really great to see how well this movie is doing
I definitely think this is one of Baker’s two best films to date, possibly his best, and one of the best films of 2024. The house was packed on a Monday night at 9:30, and I hear the opening weekend numbers were some of the highest this year. This is the kind of original, heartfelt, and relevant filmmaking that needs to be seen, celebrated, and supported, and it’s a joy to see that happen. I’m excited to see Mikey Madison’s career blossom after this, and I can’t wait for more from Sean Baker. Check out our list of exciting new films from this year’s film festivals, including Venice, TIFF, the New York Film Festival and more.