©Courtesy of NEON

In the last ten years, Sean Baker has directed four movies that speak about life like nothing else in contemporary American cinema. Tangerine, The Florida Project, Red Rocket, and last but not least Anora are linked by a vitality that can drag the viewer into a chaotic world populated by flawed, questionable, sometimes despicable but always real human beings. Baker has shown a remarkable ability to develop vibrant energy by just letting his actors create and develop the internal tone and rhythm of the scenes. But in the previous movies, those sequences weren’t always connected through a solid screenplay, while with Anora Baker provides a movie with a powerful atmosphere and a clearly developed story. In fact, his last feature film, winner of the Golden Palm at the last Cannes Film Festival, is by far his best. 

At the center of this cinematic tornado, there is Ani. Her real name is Anora, but she feels in some way it doesn’t fit the armor she built around her over the years. As a lap dancer and occasionally a prostitute, Ani uses her body, her voice, and her face as screens between the external world and her true self. When the young and extremely wealthy Ivan wants to marry her after a few days of total fun together, Ani finally has the chance to escape the world she lives in. But marrying the son of an oligarch could not be the best idea, at least for an “easy” girl like her…

©Courtesy of Neon

Anora is an incredibly fun feature film, socially if you think – and it happens during the movie – that you shouldn’t really laugh about what happens to her. The fact is Ani lives her life with such powerful energy she can be contagious: everything and everyone around her becomes sparkling, intense. Sean Baker follows her misadventure with Ivan letting the camera catch all of the chaos that a situation like that can generate.

There is a sequence in the middle of the story when all of the main characters reunite in the luxurious living-room, that brings to mind some of the best John Cassavetes movies like Faces or Minnie & Moskowitz. Of course, take this comparison with a grain of salt, especially because the process of filmmaking is likely different between Cassavetes and Baker. But the director of Anora has been nonetheless able to achieve that level of truthfulness in his movie, expressing the fun side of such organized craziness.

Another great quality of Baker’s movie is the perfect environment in which the characters live and act: Brighton Beach and Coney Island are working-class neighborhoods where humanity can be both miserable and hilarious, and where violence and irony can be linked together. Born in New Jersey and graduated in New York, Sean Baker knows perfectly the setting of Anora, making it a fundamental added character of the story, the same way it happened for example with the motel in the Florida Project. This movie is grittier than the previous ones, maybe even more scratchy, and this is because the director was capable of elevating the quality of the story and mise en scene without losing their authenticity. 

If Anora is such a remarkable piece of art, the merit needs to be shared with the protagonist Mikey Madison. Since the very first scene, the actress shows she totally understands her character, developing a body language that is harsh, brave, vulgar, and vital. At the same time, through little silences or the blink of an eye, Madison lets the audience glimpse at Anora’s frustration, making her a tragic figure even if you can’t stop laughing because of her. The director and the protagonist have worked in complete synergy in order to create a crude universe where you can’t make sense, you just have to embrace the chaos and enjoy the ride. If you are ready to do it, Anora will strike you as one of the best movies of the year. 

©Courtesy of Neon

Rate: A-

If you like the articles, share your thoughts below!

Check out more of Adriano’s articles.

Here’s the trailer for Anora: