Sean Baker’s ‘Anora:’ Navigating Cringe and Charm
Dustin Chase
The last time we saw Sean Baker, he was in Galveston filming “Red Rocket,” starring Simon Rex as a washed-up porn star. Baker returns to the world of adult entertainment with “Anora,” the first American Palme d’Or winner since “The Tree of Life” (also shot partially in Galveston). Baker has built a career on films like “The Florida Project” and “Tangerine,” examining cringe-worthy lifestyles and seedy characters. “Anora” is lightly referred to as a modern-day “Pretty Woman,” but the mainstream appeal is the most significant difference between the beloved 1990 Gary Marshall film. In all of Baker’s films, it’s difficult for some ticket-buying audiences to empathize with or champion the characters he puts on screen. “This is one never-ending nightmare,” Vache Tovmasyan’s character says at one point in the film.
When Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn) and Ani (Mikey Madison) first meet at the adult club, the naïve 21-year-old son of a Russian billionaire requests her because she speaks Russian. After a few sessions, he showers the hard-working Ani with money and attention and wants to pay her for exclusivity. “If I marry an American, I wouldn’t have to go back,” Ivan says after a wild week together. Ani is so caught up in the wealth and security that she agrees to elope to Vegas if he gets her a three-carat wedding ring. She gets four. Within hours, Ivan’s godfather in New York is on his way over with goons and Ivan’s en route from Russia. They want the marriage annulled immediately, as this situation has embarrassed the family.
"This is one never-ending nightmare."
“Anora” contains all the expected Baker ingredients, drugs, sex, nudity, and lots of colorful language. His tactic of pivoting from drama, comedy, cringe, and even romance could be seen as a plus by specific viewers or manic division by others. Many people enjoy Baker’s cinematic sensory overload and critics more so than mainstream audiences (including Oscar voters). It’s going to be an exciting collision of opinions this season to see if “Anora” translates beyond what Baker’s previous films have accomplished. While Madison (“Scream,” 2022) is already being lauded as a best actress frontrunner, her road to awards podiums will depend on whether audiences embrace Baker’s acute style of filmmaking or not. Appreciating her work is tricky if you don’t like the film.
Baker is a filmmaker like Wes Anderson; most of their films are the same. Different actors, locations, and settings. Yet the production’s makeup and the script’s design function the same. You either like what they do, or you don’t. “Anora” isn’t some cinematic feat; there isn’t an impressive musical score, the production design consists of just filming in pre-established locations, and the cinematography is as manic and varied as the script
and direction. Watching what happens to “Anora” this awards cycle will likely be more fascinating than the film itself.
“Anora” is sensory overload, manic, grating and a real lack of empathy for anyone on screen.