ANORA (2024)

Genre: Drama
Director: Sean Baker
Cast: Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn, Yura Borisov, Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan 
Runtime: 2 hrs 19 mins
Rating: R21 (Sexual Scenes and Coarse Language )
Released By: UIP
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 31 October 2024

Synopsis: Anora, a young sex worker from Brooklyn, gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as the parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled.

Movie Review:

This movie tells the story of a stripper from Brooklyn who agrees to pose as the girlfriend of a very immature (but charming, as some may feel) Russian guy for a week at a cost of $15,000. The dude also happens to be the son of a very rich businessman. The relationship then becomes a marriage, before things turn wackily outrageous with the guy running away while the girl is stuck with a motley crew of Russian men who are hell bent on hunting down the coward.

On paper, the story written by American filmmaker Sean Baker is nothing to particularly spectacular to shout about. But it is an absolute joy to sit through the entire movie that Baker also directed and edited. There isn’t a single minute feels lethargic for a film that runs for more than two hours.

The female protagonist is Anora Mikheeva (Mikey Madison in a role that allows her to light up the screen in every scene she is in), a stripper who prefers to be known as “Ani”. Ivan “Vanya” Zakharov (Mark Eydelshteyn), a childish Russian guy who is studying in America, visits her at the club and pays her for sex. The two grow closer and gets married in Las Vegas during a getaway. Naturally, this part of the film has many sexual scenes, earning it a R21 rating in Singapore.

Up till this point, the movie plays like a romantic comedy where you will laugh at the rash decisions made by Ani and Vanya. It is clear that Vanya is unable to be a responsible adult, let alone a sensible husband. But you may just swoon in envy at the romantic idealism from the two youngsters, and wish your love life was as impulsive as theirs. Of course, taking into consideration that Ivan is filthy rich, you know that things will take a turn.

When Vanya’s parents learn about his marriage to a “hooker”, tempers fly and they make immediate plans to head to America to put a stop to the nonsense. In the meantime, it is up to Vanya’s godfather Toros (Karren Karagulian), together with two henchmen (Yura Borisov and Vache Tovmasyan), to confront the guy who is just spending time playing video games. This sequence is a hoot to watch as the three men spring a surprise visit to Vanya’s mansion, which ends with Vanya fleeing the scene while Ani gets gagged. In between, there is lots of running around, screaming, punching and kicking. The amount of choreography put into executing this scene is underrated.

We then follow Ani and the three men as they drive around Brooklyn looking for Vanya. This segment is very fun to watch as well, and it is just as exciting as any adrenaline filled action caper. On top of that, there are hilarious setups which make sure that this doesn’t feel like an average chase flick.

Much of the credit goes to the ensemble cast, who effortlessly bring the characters to life on screen. These are characters you actually feel for. There’s the vivacious Ani who almost thought she can have a fairytale life, the lily livered Vanya who doesn’t want to be burdened by any responsibilities, the exhausted Toros who just wants to do a proper job of looking after his godson, and the two henchmen who provide a surprisingly heartfelt presence in a movie that charmed the jury at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where it was recognised with the festival's Palme d'Or.

Movie Rating:

(This movie is a comedy, a cat-and-mouse chase flick, and ultimately, a human drama that sizzles with energy on screen, thanks to the ensemble cast's heartfelt performances)

Review by John Li