“I chose this life, and nobody can take that choice away from me”

Life is nothing but a series of decisions we make, some of them for our own growth, others for the benefit of others. However, regardless of what we choose to do, it’s up to us to determine the extent to which we allow it to define us, especially when it comes to reaping the benefits and facing the consequences of our decisions. Sean Baker has always understood this principle, which is why every one of his films, stretching right to the very start of his career over two decades ago, has tended to revolve around ordinary people who find themselves in precarious situations as a result of their decisions, whether they were given careful thought or done in the heat of the moment. In the case of Anora, the latter is more applicable as evident by the film telling the story of a charismatic stripper living in Brooklyn, who is introduced to the son of a family of Russian billionaires, and who intends to make use of her services before falling madly in love and convincing her to elope with him, disregarding the very likely fallout that will come when his family (who most certainly would not approve of this marriage due to their status and unwavering pride in their identity) finds out about his antics, leading to a series of misadventures, in which our lovable protagonist is situated squarely in the middle. Along the way, she encounters various other characters that reveal more about the world she has inadvertently become a part of, making it clear that her decision was made extremely hastily, but is nonetheless vital to her own growth as an individual. Another tremendously entertaining, off-the-wall comedy from one of the most engaging and extraordinarily committed filmmakers working today, Anora is a terrific achievement that represents all of Baker’s greatest qualities – an offbeat sense of humour, an undying compassion and a range of compelling setpieces that hint at deeper meanings lingering just below the surface, each one carrying weight and contributing to the continuous conversation surrounding these characters and what they represented, presented in a neat, concise bundle of moments that both elicits laughter and provokes thought, which is entirely par for the course for the director and his delightfully deranged worldview.

While each of his films is different in terms of storyline and overall tempo, Baker does tend to find common themes that carry over throughout his work, tying them together and making it clear which ideas he tends to gravitate towards. Anora is the perfect encapsulation of so many of his curiosities, which tend to be both specific and universal depending on how we approach them. The most obvious connection is that of sex workers, who have been the subject of nearly every one of his films, whether their profession is the focus or merely just part of their character development, which has been the subject of some discussion amongst audiences, particularly in whether or not these are his stories to tell. Regardless, he is someone whose interest in this vocation has spanned over a decade and featured prominently in each one of his films, which look at different aspects of life in this particular industry, shedding light into a profession that is still reviled, even in a supposedly more progressive era. However, this is not the only fascinating quality that binds his films together, and perhaps the more interesting one (albeit one that is slightly more concealed) is that each one of his films is a quintessentially American story, even when they don’t necessarily revolve around American citizens directly, or where the story expands further than just focusing on them as the catalysts for the events of a film. Anora is one of the most clear-cut in terms of both themes, focusing on a young stripper whose own cultural background inadvertently gets her involved with some foreigners, which causes her considerable trouble when she discovers that they are indeed quite dangerous and willing to go to any lengths to defend their honour, especially when their adversary is someone they view as so deeply inferior. Culture clash is always a solid storytelling technique since it not only lends itself to a seemingly endless amount of comedic scenarios but also genuinely compelling insights into the connections between different groups and how they co-exist. Even the setting makes a difference – Baker ventures into Brooklyn after forays into Los Angeles, Florida and rural Texas, and explores the melting pot of a community, using this as the foundation for some genuinely enticing socio-cultural commentary.

While all of his films tend to have some degree of humour packaged into their narratives, Anora is by far one of Baker’s funniest films, and while it may not contain the wall-to-wall absurdity of Tangerine, there is still something quite captivating about how he uses comedy to tell this story, which could have very easily been a more straightforward social realist drama, but which instead made good use of well-placed humour to support, and sometimes even elevate, the underlying narrative. The term “screwball comedy” is thrown around far too frequently, and has seemingly lost its original meaning, since nearly anything even vaguely eccentric is considered under this definition, which is more than just an umbrella term for anything that takes a more upbeat approach to a particular subject. However, Baker is someone who implicitly understands the concept and integrates it seamlessly into the narrative, with Anora being one of the rare instances of a pure screwball comedy emerging in the post-Golden Age of Hollywood era, which is absolutely delightful to those who are enamoured with classical romantic comedies and how they functioned. This film is filled to the brim with madcap energy and zany antics, with the entire middle section being a perverse blend of The Three Stooges and Preston Sturges, both in how it uses the concept of a forbidden romance to elicit many hilarious scenarios and in how it hints at slightly deeper ideas lingering beneath the surface. There is more to screwball humour than just a continuous stream of eccentric moments, and Anora is firmly planted within reality, making use of some terrific flights of fancy but mostly keeping everything quite simple for the most part, which makes both the moments of broad comedy and subtle melancholy all the more effective. It’s a wonderfully endearing blur of different themes, each one being well-crafted enough to maintain our attention, and while there are some moments where it requires some degree of patience, Anora is mostly deeply moving even at the most outrageous of moments, Baker ensuring that a steady flow of different emotions continues throughout the film, making its way forward in creative and meaningful ways.

Every year we seem to find performances that are described in terms of the “star is born” narrative, whereby young actors who were previously only known for small supporting roles or are even making their debut prove to be so impressive, that they immediately skyrocket to the peak of the industry, where they break through and become household names after some time. In most cases, this is manufactured as a result of both forced publicity and audiences getting swept up in the frenzy around a supposedly exciting new performer, and while some actors thrive under these immensely stressful conditions, others tend to fade away. However, from time to time we encounter someone whose star shines so brightly, that it’s impossible to ignore them or view their burst of popularity as anything other than entirely authentic. Mikey Madison has been acting for a while, and she is even partially recognizable based on some of the work she has done in the past – but yet, it still feels like Baker made a discovery, since her performance in Anora is the very definition of a star-making turn, tailoring this role to her immense talents and essentially crafting the kind of acting vehicle we simply don’t find for young actors anymore. Her performance is extraordinary, with her charisma being irresistible, drawing us into the world of this character with a kind of rigorous authenticity that is becoming increasingly rare to find. The camera adores Madison, and her portrayal of Anora is exceptional – she elevates what could have been a thinly-written archetype into a fully-dimensional, complex character, and draws us into this story with seemingly very little effort, depending on her natural magnetism and the fact that Baker seems a spark of brilliance that will hopefully lead to even more opportunities a truly generational talent. She’s joined by a terrific supporting cast – Mark Eidelstein is undeniably playing quite an unlikeable character, taking on this airheaded young hedonist with extraordinary vigour, making us feel both enamoured and frustrated with his intentionally bizarre antics. However, the heart of the supporting cast comes in the form of the central trio of hired goons, played by Vache Tovmasyan, Karren Karagulian and Yura Borisov, all three of which are wonderful, taking potentially hollow stereotypes and fleshing them out into characters that steal every scene they are in. Borisov in particular is the emotional anchor of the film, acting as a perfect antidote to the madcap comedy, and lending the film a touch of humanity that is ultimately only beneficial to the overall narrative.

Based on these performances, it is clear that Anora is not merely fun and games, and that there is a serious underlying meaning that may not be notable enough to make it a more dour, downbeat affair, but still has its roots in a recognizable reality that is somewhat sombre and melancholic. As entertaining as it may be to see a trio of hired goons and a wisecracking sex worker race through the streets of Manhattan looking for a drunken nitwit, there is a complexity in what this film is aiming to say, and Baker is certainly focused on drawing our attention to these elements when they matter. Primarily, we find that the film is quite simply about someone who is seeking a better life, even when she is relatively comfortable and happy where she is for the time being. The director has always been very clear in his intention to never convey the common sentiment that those in the sex work industry are miserable or desperate since it is clear that some of them genuinely enjoy this line of work, and while one’s individual opinions are still relevant, to assert judgement in the way that we often see when this discussion comes up is myopic and restrictive of the idea of free will. Interestingly, despite his films often centring around those who have chosen this vocation, they never actually provide much discussion in the industry itself – the protagonists are relatively content with their position, even if they do yearn for a more simple, intimate existence. Anora is the best representation of this conversation in practice, since the titular character is someone who enjoys her work, and indeed has achieved considerable success (so any expectation that she will be shown as miserable will not be met), but when the opportunity to follow a different path appears, she realizes she would be foolish not to follow. Baker is an extraordinarily compassionate filmmaker, and in being open about his interest in this topic, or at least exploring the inner lives of those who are in this line of work, he allows this film to evolve into something much broader and more captivating, never once asserting judgement and hoping that an open-hearted, empathetic approach would inspire the audience to leave their prejudices behind and embrace the story as it stands, which is an intimate, well-crafted character study about someone seeking a future she knows is far from likely, and cherishing every moment she gets to live a life that was never hers in the first place.

Anora is so much more than it appears to be on the surface – we enter into this film expecting an irreverent, off-the-wall story of a young woman who finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time and has to do whatever she can to avoid facing increasingly absurd consequences, which she achieves through her wit and resourceful nature, and while this is certainly a big part of the narrative, we discover that there are layers to this film that keep us intently captivated and enthralled throughout. There is something so genuinely moving about this film, which proves to be a well-crafted, deeply engaging blend of comedy and drama, handled by a director who has mastered the art of tonally complex works that walk the narrow tightrope between genres and succeed in how they are both outrageous and grounded, which is quite an achievement all on its own. This isn’t a film that has one single element that succeeds above all others – the script, direction, performances and technical elements (with the oscillation between dazzling colours and more gritty, earthy tones being subtle but well-placed throughout the film) are all fundamental to the success of the film, working in tandem to create something truly memorable. We do walk away from the film with more than we had when we entered, essentially having witnessed a few performances that will elevate their respective actors to even higher prominence (Madison, Eidelstein and Borisov have all been acting for years, but this seems like the boost to international attention that they need to become valuable additions to the current canon of talented young actors), and seen Baker deliver yet another masterful, well-crafted story that looks at several different themes, weaving them together in an unforgettable and deeply compelling manner, proving why he continues to be one of the most exciting filmmakers of his generation and someone who impresses us more with every new work. Simple in theory, but filled with meaningful conversations and an abundance of humour that keeps us entirely invested in these characters and their journeys, Anora is an absolute triumph and a film that captures the human condition in vibrant, deeply enthralling detail.