New York City can come off as quite inhospitable even without its harsh winters. Particularly when you are excluded from the comforts available to its individuals. Sean Baker’s influence, spirit and admirable warmth fill his new historical comedy flick “Anora”-the film primarily revolves around laced with an abundance of high-energy comedic set pieces impressive unscripted strawmen and an incredibly dysfunctional script that seldom feels like it’s been rehearsed. However, the beauty of this sexpot is that even while the film is soaked in an atmosphere so often warm and sultry s, there is an iciness in New York that is inevitably felt within the bones. From Baker’s perspective, however, we can safely assert that everything that he brought to the table was cinematic poetry, as sarcastic insanity is ‘intelligently sprinkled’ all over his film like the haphazard frosting on a beautiful edible centerpiece, except you aren’t decorative, you’re chaotic.
The perspective of Anora’s non-violent nature “Anora” is always bracingly marked by a characteristic we have already observed as dominant in Baker’s films: the gentler side of people. There is tragedy in joy. There is pathos in a joke. Baker has dealt with sex work and sex workers’ rights as an issue and, knowing the risk of being criticized, has done so sensitively and with respect for the viewpoints of those people who are stigmatized. This time, however, it does not seem to be the case. In particular, “Anora,” named after its lead escort, seems to resolve itself to stand at one register, because the emotional tone that the film progresses towards is very intense regardless of the foreshadowing that is strewn across its narrative.
Upon introduction of Mikey Madison’s exuberant character Ani (or Anora), an exotic dancer and sex worker, we instantly understand that this is what she does for a living. She lives simply, without any hope of being saved from the establishment she works in–a bar–by a Prince Charming. Instead, she conducts her business with her clients and squabbles with her peers–friends, some, and foes, the rest. However, since this is a kind of a Cinderella story–there is always a prince and he comes at last. Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn) is the prince–the son of Russian oligarch family. One night, he hires Ani and even though he doesn’t pay much attention since he looks so hyperactive and chatty that one would think he is disordered, but the two love each other immediately. He turns her into his American dream (“God Bless America!”–we hear him complain in one of the episodes) and she becomes a ‘good spender’ for him. He brings her to the New Year’s celebration in his large mansion in Brooklyn; at that place, there also a number of other his ‘business affairs’ take place. The location, that creator Stephen Phelps worked on so attentively with the details, pretty much depicts the character, Ivan, along with his family.
Well, somehow they’ve built this warmth around themselves which provides solace, yet quite oddly, doesn’t seem friendly at all. Despite this, the duo engages in business and afterward enjoys their free time. And then, quite suddenly, Ivan asks the question while on a trip to Las Vegas.
To the glee of the purchasing power with an emotionally detached Ivan, the story encompasses several peaceful shopping sequences but turns bold as soon as the news of the escort marrying their son breaks down in Ivan’s family. In a desperate attempt to thwart the marriage, they seek the help of Toros, a priest who is rather judicious about their family’s affairs in America, and has a rebellious son who seems to be very skilled in spending on the unnecessary, playing video games and bringing troubles. To this end, he enlists the help of his henchmen, Garnick and Igor, two idiots unable to do much but attempt to forcibly extricate Anora from the family home. They are utterly unprepared for the strong woman they find who is determined to stay upright against the most violent of all.
It is evident that the ‘gift’ of exquisite casting extends to writer-director Baker and his producing partner and spouse Samantha Quan. One wonders whether the steely Madison’s short but memorable role in “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood” should be credited for her being cast as the title character. This year’s great performers is undoubtedly Madison as Anora. She is a force of nature as you would expect from a Tarantino picture: angry, fiery, fierce and tough as nails. Other times, though, she is more vulnerable than she often allows people to see. But not from us, and certainly not from Igor. Tara, who represents Anora’s perfect blending of comedy and high-octane suspense, exposes Igor as a nice guy in the midst of home invasion. In the first half of the movie, Igor engages in heightened fantasy, but rather slowly begins to discern the reality underneath the surface of Anora. Baker is intelligent enough to attend to all those details. Baker directs his vision towards what he wants the audience to see and, importantly, what he is seeing.
In a beautifully stylized scene, the film’s DP Drew Daniels captures the races through the snow-covered streets of Brooklyn and Manhattan during the night with some striking, but sparse colors. This will be done with the help of his diligent camera, and the city doesn’t seem so glamorous where Toros and his crew are rushing to figure how to destroy the marital peace between Ivan and Ani’s some of the shadowiest alleys gaining a sense of place- this New York from the ‘70s slips into the cultural image even if you’ve never been to New York City.
And concerning that marital peace. It’s hardly a surprise to discover that the excess of such marital affection was a highly elusive quality in the first place not when the co-conspirator is a rich and dishonest person such as Ivan. It should be noted that class is a concern in most of Baker’s works, and this perspective is permeated everywhere in “Anora”, especially when it comes to Ani’s ally to her apparent enemies that are essentially her fellow workers–the employees which Ivan’s family spends a couple of bucks and a lot of money on as well. It does not matter if the people who make up the structure base are aware about it or not ? A bond of some sort forms and invariably, it is beautiful to see the quiet bond of support.
The movie “Anora” is at the same time exhilarating and sorrowful, it is simply a contradiction of joyous moments and moments that are dank and dejected. However, you will not abandon all hope in regard to the ones in this wonderful film you will come to care about; the ending of the film is brutal, but leaves enough hope. After all, Baker looks after them because they have poured so much love and attention to intricate details in their life. It’s the humanist in him.
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