Anora: Sean Baker's 'startlingly wise and tender' film is his most 'vivid creation yet'
Mikey Madison is 'mesmerising' as the 'flawed, fearless' heroine of Palme d'Or-winning movie

"Frenetic and funny, fiery and profane", Sean Baker's "brilliant" new film, "Anora" is a "screwball Cinderella tale", said Xan Brooks in The Guardian.
The "boisterous New York caper", which won the coveted Palme d'Or at Cannes in May, is sure to turbo-charge Baker's career, vaulting him towards "greatness". But it's a "joint triumph"; Mikey Madison "gives a performance for the ages" in the title role of Anora – the film's "flawed, fearsome heroine".
The action kicks off at the midtown Manhattan strip club where Anora (who prefers to go by Ani) works. She soon meets Vanya (Mark Edelstein), the "gawky, spoilt son of a Russian oligarch" with more money than he knows what to do with, and free run of his parent's enormous Brighton Beach mansion. He offers her $15,000 to move into his home and become his girlfriend for the week. It isn't until after their booze and drug-fuelled Las Vegas wedding that the "souffle collapses in spectacular style".
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Anora" reaches its "shrill crescendo" when a "pair of hapless Russian goons arrive to annul the marriage". But Ani's response has them "reeling"; she won't go down without a fight. "It is a superb, breathless set piece: savage and hilarious, and on the outer edge of control."
The "outrageously funny" sequence, which sees three "burly men try and fail to control this 5'3'' force of nature", is followed by a desperate search for Vanya, who disappears at the first sign of trouble, said Robbie Collin in The Telegraph.
Baker, who wrote, edited and directed the film, feels "steadier and more confident" than in his previous films, wrote Alissa Wilkinson in The New York Times. The film "effortlessly" slides between three acts: the first feels like an "explicit" take on "Pretty Woman"; the second is a "frantic screwball comedy"; and the third and final act – "well, I'll let you find that out on your own". That Baker manages to pull this off is a "marvel of filmmaking and acting".
A tale of "wealth, power, and what love can and can't overcome", like many of Baker's films "Anora" is at its core "about the limits of the American dream" and the "invisible walls that stand in the way of fantasies about equality and opportunity". Madison is "mesmerising" throughout; "I left the theatre on a high, exhilarated by the performances".
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The film seems likely to "catapult" Baker from "indie critical darling" to the "rarer" type of filmmaker whose work is both widely praised by critics and watched by large audiences, said Dana Stevens in Slate. Somehow he has managed to craft a "crowd-pleaser" that's also "startlingly wise and tender".
By the end of the film we love Ani "unconditionally, like Baker does", said Jessica Kiang on the BFI, which makes the "emotional wallop" of the final scene remarkably powerful. "By turns swoony, funny, panicky and sad, this is the director's most vivid creation yet."
Irenie Forshaw is a features writer at The Week, covering arts, culture and travel. She began her career in journalism at Leeds University, where she wrote for the student newspaper, The Gryphon, before working at The Guardian and The New Statesman Group. Irenie then became a senior writer at Elite Traveler, where she oversaw The Experts column.
-
Miami Freedom Tower’s MAGA library squeeze
THE EXPLAINER Plans to place Donald Trump’s presidential library next to an iconic symbol of Florida’s Cuban immigrant community has South Florida divided
-
Trump wants to revive coal. Will it work?
Talking Points Wind, solar and natural gas are ascendant
-
Is the first AI ‘actor’ the beginning of Hollywood’s existential crisis?
Today's Big Question 'Tilly Norwood' sparks a backlash
-
Pucker up with these 8 soothing lip balms and treatments
The Week Recommends Don’t pout — these lip balms offer hydration and shine
-
7 bars to visit that celebrate the magic of the classic and the modern
The Week Recommends Where to drink now in the US
-
Enjoy the scenery on these 7 colorful fall road trips
The Week Recommends 'Tis the season for autumn foliage
-
The soups, noodles and cake to make this the most tasty fall yet
The Week Recommends Soothing plates from across the globe
-
Sing songs with Sandler, gawk at Gaffigan: These are the comedians to catch on tour this fall
the week recommends Laugh to keep yourself from crying
-
Projects and pantry staples: Fall’s new cookbooks are primed to help you achieve all sorts of deliciousness
The Week Recommends Starring new releases from celebri-cooks Samin Nosrat and Alison Roman
-
Jump scare! Evil villain! These are fall’s most exciting horror movie releases.
The Week Recommends An Airbnb rental gone wrong and another ‘Frankenstein’ adaptation highlight this autumn’s horror crop
-
6 low-effort, highest-yield cocktails to make this fall
The Week Recommends Ready for your margarita to reach for the coconut?