14/50
in Hollywood and Scream
Scenario
Anora, a young prostitute from Brooklyn, impulsively meets and marries the son of an oligarch. When word reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened when his parents travel to New York to have the marriage annulled. Mikey Madison reflects on the roles that shaped his path to Anora, from “Better Things” to Once Upon a Time… At the Cannes Film Festival press conference, Mikey Madison said that director Sean Baker would play out different sexual positions with his wife, producer Samantha Quan, to demonstrate to the actors what he wanted them to do.
Quoted in Close-Up: Anora (2024)
In a Las Vegas scene, a character refers to “McCarran Airport.” While Las Vegas International Airport was known as McCarran International Airport for many decades, its name was changed to Harry Reid International Airport in late 2021. Igor: PLEASE! STOP! SCREAMING!.
The setting is enticing
Mikey Madison plays the lead, a New York lap dancer. Then the story grabs us. She unwisely marries (the young, immature son of a Russian oligarch) and then finds herself in a dire situation. There’s a standout performance from Madison, but all the performances are good.
The conclusion is not a disappointment
The excess nudity and sex is out of fashion for a mainstream film, but both that and the increasingly comic high drama have a rare liveliness. Even the evocative locations: Las Vegas and out-of-season Coney Island are deftly captured. At well over two hours, it’s too long, but it holds our attention because we can’t imagine how it will end. The London Film Festival screenings are sold out, and I’m not surprised.
This is dynamic stuff from a fearless director
See the full lineup for the 62nd New York Film Festival this fall.
