Dir: Sean Baker
Studio: Universal, Focus Pictures
Review by: Robbie Fleming
After seeing her in supporting roles like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) and Scream (2022), Mikey Madison finally gets a breakout leading role in Sean Baker’s Anora, where she plays the titular character. The film follows Anora, an American stripper who falls in love with the son of a Russian oligarch.
The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival back in May this year and managed to win the Palme d’Or. I finally managed to check this film out during its wide release, and here’s what I thought of Baker’s most recent feature.
Baker has always had a knack for telling engaging slice-of-life stories, and Anora is certainly one that he’s written well. Despite some humour in the film, it plays more as a drama rather than a traditional rom-com. While I like the plot, there were some moments that felt dragged out and could have been tightened to suit a 2-hour runtime rather than the 2-hour-and-20-minute runtime it has.
Mikey Madison gives a brilliant performance as Anora and carries the film with her nuanced performance. I’m glad Baker gave her the chance to lead, as she proves she has the talent and charisma to be a leading lady, showcasing this in a breakout role that could earn her an Oscar nomination. The supporting cast (mostly Russian actors) also give strong performances, but this film is definitely Mikey’s time to shine.
As a director, Baker’s trademark style is present here and is used effectively to tell the story. The cinematography by Drew Daniels elevates the visuals and brings Baker’s style to life. Baker also edited the film, as he often does with his projects, and he does a great job helping the story flow smoothly and creating clever transitions. The raw and gritty style Baker brings makes the film visually unique to mainstream viewers, but for fans of his previous work, it’s clear this is a Baker film.
Overall, Anora will help Sean Baker make a bigger mark in the zeitgeist thanks to his writing and directing, as well as Madison’s breakout lead performance. However, knowing Baker more as a director, I still think his strongest film is The Florida Project (2017). I can see this film being a big contender for awards, and honestly, I think it could win Best Original Screenplay. It’s not a film that will crack my top 10 of the year, but I’d recommend it to fans of Baker’s work. I give Anora a rating of 9/10 and 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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