REVIEW: “Anora” (2024)

As a film enthusiast with over three decades of experience under my belt, I must confess that Sean Baker’s “Anora” left me feeling more drained than exhilarated, despite its triumphant Palme d’Or win at Cannes. This film, much like a rollercoaster without the thrilling ups and downs, felt more like an endurance test than a cinematic masterpiece.

Sean Baker’s movie “Anora” made a strong debut, claiming the highly coveted Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Remarkably, it marks the first time an American film has achieved this honor since Terrence Malick’s acclaimed 2011 production, “The Tree of Life.” Regrettably, “Anora” fails to reach the heights set by that remarkable masterpiece. Instead, it offers a tiresome exploration of self-indulgent filmmaking, with its focus often misplaced.

In the film “Anora,” it appears that Director Anora is recurrently dealing with similar issues that were present in his previous work, “Red Rocket” from 2021. His goal is to offer an unvarnished perspective on neglected American subcultures, which is commendable. However, his fixation on gritty themes frequently overshadows the necessary focus on character development and relationships. This imbalance is particularly noticeable in “Anora” – a film that stretches over 140 minutes and can be quite overwhelming.

Anora” is a vivid demonstration of what unchecked enthusiasm can lead to in a film. Baker’s failure to recognize when to dial back and allow his characters room to grow results in one of the movie’s main flaws. Instead, we get superficial portrayals rather than substantial character development. Furthermore, trying to find an emotional heart amidst the persistent shouting, relentless bickering, and at times confounding dialogue can be quite challenging.

In this movie, the lead actress Mikey Madison portrays Anora, a 23-year-old stripper at an upscale New York City club. Much like Emma Stone for Yorgos Lanthimos, Madison delves deeply into her director’s vision and exposes herself fully. However, despite regularly disrobing and performing on cue, the character she’s given doesn’t provide enough substance to move beyond mere exhibitionism. Strangely, this aligns with the unapologetic immorality of the film’s harsh and distorted world created by Baker.

In a night at Club HQ, Anora, or Ani as she’s known, earns a living by catering to various clients’ 15-minute fantasies. One such client, a wealthy and spoiled young Russian named Vanya (Mark Eidelshtein), becomes smitten with her. He showers her with cash and extends an invitation for additional work at his contemporary mansion. Ani agrees to this offer delightfully.

Ani is portrayed as a clever and experienced woman who excels in the game she plays. She skillfully manipulates people by fulfilling their desires, which ultimately serves her own purposes. However, her apparent independence and intelligence are subtly questioned due to her connection with Vanya. Her strong and self-assured image is contrasted when she agrees to be his girlfriend for a week in exchange for $15,000, reminiscent of the film “Pretty Woman.

After six days filled with non-stop sexual encounters, drug use, and wild partying (as vividly portrayed by Baker for what feels like an endless stretch), Ani and Vanya spontaneously decide to jet off to Las Vegas. Their unexpected marriage, however, lacks coherence mainly because the couple are too immersed in a cloud of hedonism to establish any convincing emotional bond.

Perhaps Ani is merely driven by financial gain, which leaves us doubting everything we thought was genuine about her character. It’s perplexing how she could overlook Vanya’s obviously frivolous and wasteful nature, a trait we can easily spot ourselves. Unfortunately, the narrative fails to provide us with a clear understanding of Ani’s emotions, personality traits, or her underlying intentions because an excessive amount of time is dedicated to unimportant details.

Essentially, the marriage serves as a plot device to transform the second act of “Anora” into a comedic chase through New York City, reminiscent of a screwball comedy. After news of Vanya’s adventures reaches his affluent Russian parents, they send their son’s Brooklyn-based supervisor, Toros (Karren Karagulian), accompanied by two incompetent henchmen, Igor (Yuriy Borisov) and Garnick (Vache Tovmasyan), to annul the marriage. However, once they reach the family estate, Vanya flees, leaving Ani furious and joining forces with the three bungling tough guys in their pursuit of him across the city.

As “Anora” unfolds, its narrative and emotional turbulence escalate. Persistently loud arguments, diatribes, and outbursts dominate the dialogue, leaving me with an uncomfortable sense of deja vu. On the other hand, Baker’s ability to authentically recreate the setting, by shooting on location, is truly commendable. Regrettably, the characters lack the same believability. They seem stuck in a self-proclaimed vulgar yet disappointingly empty world that mimics something gritty and captivating but instead proves to be a monotonous and tiresome cycle.

2024-11-09 18:56

REVIEW: “Anora” (2024)

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