Sean Baker’s wild, Cannes-winning hit blends humor, heartbreak, and raw humanity for a film you won’t soon forget.
By Dana Barbuto/Boston Movie News

“She happened.”

“She” is Ani, the title character in writer-director Sean Baker’s “Anora,” a fierce stripper who, in one long chaotic scene, takes down two thugs, leaving behind a trail of shattered glass, one broken nose, and two men wondering how they got beaten up by a “little girl.” When their boss shows up and questions the wreckage and their incompetency, one of them mutters those two words.

“She happened.”

It’s a simple sentence that suggests a powerful existence, an observation that applies to both the fictional character and the actress who brings her to life. Mikey Madison, previously seen as one of the Manson girls in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and a psycho killer in the “Scream” reboot, fully deserves every bit of praise, from “tour-de-force” to “star-making” and all the hyperbole in between.

“She happened”—and she’s not easy to shake. I can’t wait to see this movie a bunch more times. Baker’s Palme d’Or-winning film is hands down the best movie of the year. Believe the Cannes hype. The film stars Madison as a Brighton Beach sex worker swept into a whirlwind romance with the pampered party-boy son (Mark Eydelshteyn) of a Russian oligarch. It’s a modern Cinderella story, swapping glass slippers and tulle for Pleaser heels and tear-away miniskirts. What unfolds is outrageously funny and surprisingly heartbreaking. Be prepared to laugh and cry, often in the same scene.

Mikey Madison as Ani and Mark Eydelshteyn as Ivan in "Anora." (Photo from Neon)
Mikey Madison as Ani and Mark Eydelshteyn as Ivan in writer-director Sean Baker’s “Anora.” (Photo from Neon)

The movie begins in the strip club where Ani, short for Anora, works. There, Ani meets Ivan, who, after one night, becomes so sweet on her that he offers her $15,000 to be his girlfriend for a week. Don’t let the shades of “Pretty Woman” bother you—Baker does it on purpose. These crazy kids end up on a drug-and-booze-fueled escapade in Las Vegas, where they impulsively get married. Ivan gives her a 4-carat diamond and a fur coat. Ka-ching! Ani hit the jackpot, living her fairytale and banking on a Disney honeymoon—in a princess suite, of course.

Once the news reaches Russia, Ivan’s parents send in the family fixers to secure an annulment and buy the girl off. But nothing goes according to plan. Ivan takes off, and they have 24 hours to find him before Mom and Dad arrive in the States. That’s when the movie turns into an all-night bender with a bunch of bumbling goons and a gutsy dancer traipsing through the city on a cold New York night. What follows is farcical and funny until it’s devastating, with a final act that digs into the transactional nature of sex work and maybe even something profound about love.

Terrific supporting performances from Yura Borisov, Karren Karagulian, and Vache Tovmasyan match Madison’s Oscar-worthy turn. Together, they are a tsunami of screwball energy and foul language. But it’s Borisov, with his soulful blue eyes and tiny acts of kindness, who stands out. The good ones always hide in plain sight.

Baker (“The Florida Project,” “Red Rocket”) somehow tops his already stellar filmography with “Anora.” Son of a Russian oligarch and sexy stripper isn’t exactly the type of love story setup we’re all used to, yet he delivers their story masterfully—especially hers. Baker has a graceful, almost noble, way of offering a glimpse into the lives of people whom most either misunderstand or overlook.

Madison, though, is the film’s beating heart, taking Ani from lap-dancing in the Champagne Room to a much more vulnerable place. She’s most comfortable dressed in skimpy outfits, telling someone to f-off in her thick Brooklyn accent or getting busy in the bedroom.  Put some clothes on her, and she’s instantly emotionally exposed, with Madison capturing every nuance of Ani’s feelings flawlessly. It’s a thunderclap of a performance that builds and builds to an emotional climax you might not see coming. Baker leaves it up to you to interpret that bittersweet final shot—an ending so powerful that it will leave you stunned. Maybe it’s the beginning of something beautiful, maybe not. 

One thing’s for sure: Ani happened.

‘Anora’

Rating: R for strong sexual content throughout, graphic nudity, pervasive language, and drug use.

Cast: Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn, Yura Borisov, Karren Karagulian, and Vache Tovmasyan 

Director/writer: Sean Baker

Running time: 138 mintues

Where to watch: In theaters Friday

Grade: A