Anora

by Mike McGranaghan

Scream actress Mikey Madison makes a serious bid for A-list status in Anora, the latest film from Red Rocket director Sean Baker. She gives a colorful, commanding performance that is a joy to watch. Every once in a while, an actor creates a character that feels utterly real, not like a product of fiction. This is one of those occasions. Based on her work here, it’s going to be exciting to see what else Madison can do in the future.

She plays Anora “Ani” Mikheeva, an exotic dancer from Brooklyn. Her life changes one night when Vanya Zakharov (Mark Eydelshteyn), the son of a Russian oligarch, comes into the club. Ani takes him to a private room where they strike up chemistry during a lap dance. They begin seeing each other outside of work, with him paying her to come to his mansion for sex. As their connection grows, he offers $15,000 if she’ll stay with him for a week of revelry. That includes an impromptu trip to Las Vegas, where they spontaneously get married. Vanya’s parents find out about the wedding from Russia and send his godfather Toros (Karren Karagulian) and two henchmen to arrange an annulment.

Anora transforms itself very slyly right in front of our eyes. The first third is a raucous look inside Ani’s world, filled with nudity and sexual exploits. Once Toros comes calling, it morphs into a character-based comedy as Vanya flees and Ani hilariously refuses to allow these goons to end her marriage. The final act brings in unexpectedly deep emotions as the repercussions of the scenario play out. To Baker’s credit, the film never comes off as disjointed. It manages to make the progression natural. As a result, you can never accurately assume where the story will go.

What is clear is Baker’s desire to explore how Ani’s life changes. Her profession involves giving pleasure to others. After starting a relationship with Vanya, she makes the decision to focus on her own pleasure for a while. Ani is no shrinking violet, a trait she obviously honed at work. The character fights tooth and nail for her marriage because it’s seemingly the first true happiness she’s known in life. You could accurately say that “possession” is one of the movie’s biggest themes. Ani intends to own the marriage, just as Vanya’s parents intend to dictate – and therefore own – his life decisions. All the wild and profane things that occur are serving a narrative with more substance than you initially realize.

The fun of Anora is that the main character is a force of nature. She’s bold, brash, and fearless. Putting her in a pressure cooker situation leads to automatic entertainment. To play a force of nature, you need to be a force of nature. Mikey Madison is certainly that. The actress embodies Ani so fully and with such dimension that you can’t look away. Like Billy Bob Thornton in Sling Blade or Amy Adams in Junebug, she delivers a tour de force performance that establishes her as a powerful screen presence.

The movie is 139 minutes long, yet never seems like it. That’s a testament to the meaning of the story and the appeal of the character. Using authentic locations and sprinkling in a few non-professional actors to add to the veracity, Baker creates a work that immerses you in its protagonist’s world. This is an electrifying film, fueled by a star-making turn you won’t soon forget.

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