Anora

Meets the very high expectations. A very refined, confident, and funny edition of the Sean Baker trademark people on the outskirts of society. Mikey Madison explodes into stardom. New York stripper Ani and her Russian billionaire heir boyfriend/husband are exactly how you think of people with those titles. She’s sexy, knows how to work, NYC spiky with an accent and vocabulary to match, lives with her sister. He’s a carefree rich kid, never known responsibility, has absent parents with handlers in their place, and only wants to party or play video games. The film isn’t trying to sell a different stereotype - it hits the existing ones on the nose - but it shows that even within a stereotype there’s still people with real emotions. While the first half sheds light and sympathy on Ivan and his boyish fascination with Ani while she cashes in, the second half reveals Ani’s crushing trip back down to earth after reckoning with her emotions contrasting with Ivan’s. Sean Baker masterclass deserving of all its praise.