Sat. Feb 15th, 2025

Sean Baker delivers comedy and captivation in new movie Anora

“Anora” is Russian for light. This is what Mikey Madison delivers in Sean Baker’s fourth directorial film depicting the life of “Ani,” a fiery mid-20s sex worker. 

Like her job, Ani’s life is a dance of highs and lows. Following an instantaneous and risky love for a Russian oligarch’s son, “Ivan” played by Mark Eydelshteyn, the two head to Las Vegas for an all-out excursion. But at the center of all the drugs and amusement, Ani admires Ivan for who she sees him as: a man that loves her for her in a world where men only view her as an object. 

So they decide to get married just because they can. 

There is no complexity in Baker’s dialogue, it is a visual admiration of two characters being in love. But there is a brutality to the film when reality sets in, and Ivan’s two bodyguards “Garnick” played by Vache Tovmasayn and “Torros” played by Karren Karagulian find out that Ivan married a sex worker. 

Ani is proud of her sexuality, but when it comes to men it does not matter how she projects herself. Once it is revealed that Ivan really is living with his parents and they want Ani to divorce him, a big fight leads to Ivan fleeing the house leaving Ani with the two bodyguards and no husband. 

The men try controlling Ani but soon realize she is not going to let them push her around without a fight. Another bodyguard “Igor” played by Yuriy Borisov, arrives on the scene to ensure she does not run off. With great use of physical comedy, this small young woman puts up a fight against two beefy bodyguards.

The next hour consists of the four characters trying to find Ivan before his parents, who have had enough of his passionate destructiveness, come and take him back to Russia. 

We watch Ani as she becomes confused about her future and if there’s any hope for her to still love Ivan now that she has realized the influence of Ivan’s parents. She was a 6-inch, smart-mouth Cinderella who found her prince, but he was nowhere near charming. 

Ivan is eventually found partying, dancing with another woman and seemingly forgetting all about Ani. After a comedic scene where Torros and Garnick think they can get the marriage annulled in New York City, the certificate is read and they have to go back to Las Vegas to expunge the marriage. Ivan’s parents have now arrived as well and they all head back to Las Vegas. 

On the private jet, Baker uses physical positioning as a metaphor for an important role that defines these characters: class. As Ivan sits in the front with his mother and father, Torros and Garnick sit behind them and Igor and Ani sit in the far back, signifying their status as beneath the wealthy family. Only then does the audience realize that Ani and Igor have a lot in common in how the world sees them.

Back in Las Vegas, Ani and Ivan sign the divorce papers, and we get some insight into the controlling nature of Ivan and his mother’s relationship. Ivan’s mother degrades Ani for having the audacity to speak to her, and Ani points out that Ivan may have married her simply to spite his mother. 

As Ivan’s father gets involved, we realize that Ivan’s mother deals with the same objectification of men around her as Ani. She now uses her motherly position to do as she pleases without dealing with the consequences. She and Ani are the same and no amount of money will ever change that. 

Back in chilly New York, Igor carries Ani’s luggage up the stairs and gifts her the ring Ivan proposed with. Her initial reaction is to attempt and seduce Igor in the car. But when he tries to kiss her, she refuses and falls into his chest crying. The one time Ani is treated well and cared for, she puts her walls up and goes into her professional mode because she fears showing weakness. 

“Anora” is about the beauty of passion but also how quickly women become the brunt of mistreatment. The film questions the possibility of finding someone that cares about you no matter where you come from. Because if we are not enough now, will we ever be? 

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