Anora film by Sean Baker

Dark Romcom “Anora” Starts and Ends Strong But Lags When It Counts

In the noble pursuit of elevating the dignity of workers in an often dehumanized profession, a talented writer/editor/director often loses his way in creating a captivating narrative. Sean Baker’s Anora (C+) starts and ends strong, beginning with you-are-there bravado in a NYC nightclub where we meet exotic dancer Anora “Ani” Mikheeva played by Mikey Madison and watch her hold court over a VIP backroom where she meets man-child Ivan “Vanya” Zakharov (Mark Eydelshteyn), frivolous son of a Russian oligarch who strikes a bargain with the private dancer to spend time with her outside of the club. But this is a fractured fable take on the “stripper with a heart of gold” trope: Ani certainly buys into aspects of the fantasy – Brighton Beach mansion, designer drugs, bountiful bling and more – while being fiercely defiant of forces encroaching on her newfound relationship. Much of the film focuses on existential threats swooping in to split up the central duo, and these series of episodes are increasingly tedious and unrewarding. Despite often strong acting by Madison, her title character actually wears out her welcome and becomes shrill in the subplots. Karren Katagulian gets a thankless role as an Orthodox priest and Vanya’s godfather charged with protecting him from his own impulses. Yura Borisov gets a few good moments at a seemingly sympathetic Russian henchman. The film’s pursuit of truth in storytelling is often swapped for jaunty jet-setting and messy mayhem, even if Baker largely sticks the landing. 

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