The Russians are coming for Anora

The new film Anora has writer and director Sean Baker continuing with his theme of shining a light on characters who live on the fringe. This project was not set in Florida, but instead takes place in Brooklyn, New York surrounding an Uzbek-American exotic dancer named Anora or Ani for short.

She is swept off her feet by one of her clients from Russia named Vanya and marries him in Vegas. The parents of Vanya are not pleased with this situation and send two henchmen to annul the marriage. The parents eventually confront the couple and things go off the rails with unexpected results as Ani goes feral when provoked.

The soundtrack notably features queer artists such as Slayyyter, Perfume Genius, Omar Apollo, Troye Sivan and Russian group t.A.T.u. Baker was inspired to make Anora thanks to longtime collaborator Karren Karagulian's wife who is Russian and living in Brooklyn. His skilled performance as Toros is entertaining to watch and Yura Borisov is equally a standout as Igor.

The less viewers know the better with the plot that takes many twists and turns before it ends. The ending doesn't wrap things up in a neat bow and the story drags a bit by the end, but Baker's muse is never boring.

Mikey Madison may take home a trophy this award season in the title role and Anora won the Palme d'Or at the 77th Cannes Film Festival this past May

There are lessons to be found within Anora and a chance to walk in someone else's shoes. Ani should observed without judgment empathetically as the world around her doesn't spin in her favor. The rich versus the poor subject matter is timely today and will resonate with many.

Sex work is work and this film attempts to remove some of the stigma surrounding that by making each character human.

It's Pretty Woman mixed with Mighty Aphrodite for a new generation of theatergoers that crave action to accompany the drama and humor. Cinderella doesn't fit into the glass slipper this time but this broken fairytale is worth watching and this sex worker works overtime to earn her paycheck.

Anora screens at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 North Southport Avenue, on October 12 and in select theaters on Oct. 18, 2024.