As a movie enthusiast with a penchant for tragicomedies and a soft spot for underdog stories, I found Sean Baker’s “Anora” to be a captivating yet bittersweet journey. The film’s ending, with its poignant sex scene, was a stark reminder of Ani’s unchanging life situation, much like how my own life hasn’t changed much since the last time I tried to learn Russian for a movie marathon.
Spoilers ahead for the plot and ending of Anora.
Sean Baker’s movie Anora concludes with a poignant sex scene, serving as a melancholic counterpoint to several sensual encounters shown earlier throughout this humorous and emotionally raw tragicomedy. In the finale, stripper Ani (Mikey Madison), who has been incessantly followed by Igor (Yura Borisov), a Russian enforcer, finds herself atop him inside a parked car after enduring two particularly long, tense days. The closing scene echoes the film’s opening, where Ani performs a private dance at her Brighton Beach strip club workplace. The contrast between these scenes is striking: While Anora initiates with vibrant lighting, pulsating music, and suggestive eroticism, it concludes with dismal snowfall, the monotonous sound of windshield wipers, and an authentic moment of physical intimacy that carries more desperation than pleasure. The true symmetry lies in how little Ani’s life has progressed from the movie’s start to its end.
Throughout the film Anora, Baker challenges conventional Hollywood narrative expectations not once but twice. The movie’s structure serves as a harsh wake-up call or a lingering aftereffect, similar to a regrettable hangover: If the initial hour unfolds like a blissful whirlwind, reminiscent of a fast-paced rendition of Pretty Woman where Ani is the prostitute falling for her wealthy client, in this case the young Russian playboy Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn), the latter half deliberately slows down to shatter any illusions about this whirlwind fairy tale romance. However, as Baker dismantles the Cinderella narrative he initially presents, he subtly lays the groundwork for a different kind of fairy tale, inviting us to pin our hopes for a joyful conclusion on an alternate set of romantic comedy tropes.
As a fan, I’d rephrase it this way: In the story, Igor Borisov often makes an appearance. His first scene is not exactly a romantic encounter with Ani. Although he initially seems polite towards her, it doesn’t take long for him to follow instructions from Vanya’s godfather Toros (Karren Karagulian). This leads to Igor preventing Ani from leaving the family mansion, and this confrontation escalates into a distressing situation where Igor forces Ani onto a couch, ties her hands, and eventually pins her beneath him. This act isn’t explicitly sexual or malicious in intent, but it is a discomforting abuse of power. What makes it even more unsettling is that the way Igor holds Ani against his body oddly resembles the physical closeness of a lap dance.
In the chaotic second half of Anora’s screwball comedy, everyone, including Vanya, treats Ani poorly, making Igor appear as her sole supporter, despite him subjecting her to acts that she rightfully identifies as assault and abduction. Baker deliberately contrasts Igor with Vanya in terms of temperament, appearance, and social status: Igor is the exact opposite of a lively, wealthy adolescent. Instead, he’s a reserved working-class man (Ani calls him a ‘gopnik,’ a derogatory Russian term similar to “thug”). Throughout the story, Igor maintains his composure, and Baker emphasizes his sympathy for Ani, whom he is hired to protect and control. While Vanya’s family members frantically search New York for the missing child with the intention of annulling his marriage, Igor subtly expresses his concern for Ani on the sidelines of the plot. Baker uses close-ups of Igor to highlight his inner turmoil as a secondary conflict.
In this aspect, the character Anora is portrayed as embodying the stereotype of the hidden true love, who has been unnoticed by the female lead all along – the classic romantic comedy trope of Mr. Right concealed among everyday people. Interestingly, Borisov has played a similar role before, appearing in the Finnish romantic comedy “Compartment No. 6” as a gruff Russian character who gradually shows his tender side over time. However, Baker has given this familiar motif an unusual twist by basing Ani and Igor’s relationship on a foundation of violent control. The brutal encounter where Igor restrained Ani is frequently reminded throughout the narrative, serving both as a grim reminder of their first meeting and as a stark contrast to their developing romantic connection. A chilling detail: When Igor offers a scarf to a shivering Ani, it’s the same one he had used to muffle her screams just a few hours prior. Concurrently, Ani’s stubborn resistance to warm up to her attacker aligns with another romantic comedy cliché – the blossoming love story that arises from an adversarial relationship. Ani’s barrage of insults, which represent the sharp edge of her charisma when dealing with clients, could be interpreted as a fiery adaptation of the overly independent romantic comedy heroine who eventually falls for the rogue.
Everything culminates in that final scene, the encounter in the car, where Ani appears to grow tender towards Igor and it seems as though Anora follows the romantic-comedy script that Baker has been setting up. However, there’s no sense of emotional release or blossoming romance during their sexual encounter, which is intentionally left cold to bring back memories of when Ani was in Igor’s lap before, ending with her violently slapping him and crying. If there’s any connection in this farewell hug, it’s more about shared disappointment between two people who are used by the same wealthy family, valued only for their physical attributes rather than emotional depth. Instead of a passionate culmination of their growing feelings, it feels more like a melancholic understanding.
Is this the most favorable scenario for Ani? Any relationship with Igor would initially involve a power disparity, considering their past circumstances. Despite his potential kindness, as Baker suggests, we should consider his sensitivity as genuine, it’s important to remember that he was the one who restrained and controlled her at others’ request. It’s significant that Ani clings to Igor after he returns her engagement ring, which Vanya’s family had forcefully taken from her, symbolizing a consolation prize for the harrowing experience she just endured. This is merely a sad echo of her sham wedding, as her dream of being rescued by a prince seems as unattainable as the fantasy she sells to her clients or the romantic ideal portrayed in the movie Anora, which ultimately disappoints us. For Ani, there’s no storybook ending; her fairy-tale daydream of being swept off her feet by a prince is as unrealistic as the illusion she creates for others.
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2024-10-25 20:54