- Date of Release: 01 November 2024
- Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
- Language: English
- Watch On: MAMI Film Festival
Anora
Introduction
There are two ways to look at the film Anora – one from a glossy, superficial level that promises dollops of comedy along the way. The other from a deep-rooted emotional perspective that offers a searing commentary on the class divide. I must admit that the film did not move me instantly, and that I did fall in the former category initially. But something about the film stayed with me, and refused to leave me even long after the film had ended. On probing further, I realised that it was the aftermath of the character of Anora that has stayed with me, something that I wasn’t initially in line with, in regard to its final act. Yet, the thought of Anora and her life outside the one shown almost acted as a deconstruction for the drama that was showcased to me. And in that lay the beauty of Anora.
Anora essentially has a Cinderella type of a setup in a story that isn’t necessarily a fairy tale. You are introduced to the protagonist Ani, who happens to be an escort often see at a local strip club going about her chores of ‘pleasing’ people through the night before returning to her apartment at day break. The initial setting of a local club plays an important part in revealing her background, wherein she isn’t the most rich person in town but still content in doing some ‘chores’ for money. There, she is tasked to spend time with Ivan, a Russian guy in his early 20s for which she complies. Well, she isn’t Cinderella to expect her life to change overnight while awaiting for her Prince in a shining armour, but that night proves to be a watershed moment for her, wherein she takes a liking to Ivan who also reciprocates.
Story & Screenplay
The one aspect of the screenplay that was easier to grasp for the viewers was the prevalent humour in the proceedings. Both Ivan and Ani share a sizzling chemistry that involves a lot of s*x in the most frivolous manner possible. In a scene wherein they are in the middle of their steamy deed, you see Ivan moaning, ‘God Save America’ in the most hilarious manner. Clearly, Ivan is a guy who is charming and has his sense of humour on point which is actually besides the point – he is a rich brat who is known to take impulsive decisions. The duality of the writing does kick in with regard to the setting, particularly when you look at it through the gaze of Ani. The dim red lights of the strip club are replaced by the natural light in Ivan’s apartment that is spacious and ironically more intimate than Ani’s work place. This is a new life for Ani that is filled with swoon and s*x while offering her a promise to lead a lifestyle that she often aspired to, in fact a couple of notches higher than that!
The stakes in the drama are raised first with the impulsive dynamics between Ivan and Ani who decide to get married suddenly, which later hits the roof after Ivan’s family gets to know about it. And so, the transition from the steamy first act to the second act does gain momentum with this conflict, yet the writing replaces the melodrama with dollops of humour even as Ivan’s father sends three of his trusted men to ‘take care’ of the situation. The goal is clear – to not opt for a divorce which would have resulted in an alimony claim but to treat the marriage as null and void through some legal help. Interestingly, one of the most hilarious scenes of the film take place in an apartment that leads to some crazy antics between all characters featuring Toros (Ivan’s Godfather), his two henchmen Igor and Garnick, and Ivan and Ani (who is Anora by then). The part of the antics also include a little tiff from a geo-political perspective given how Ivan flees before leaving Anora and the others to fend for themselves. The fight between characters are representative of tensions between USA and Russia, told through a hilarious gaze that had me in splits. And most of the drama that ensues, is mostly around locating Ivan for the legalities involving the termination of his marriage with Anora.
The weather here plays an important part, for the first time we witness the characters of the high society meander on the chilling streets of New York, all presented as a tongue n’ cheek humour. The proceedings are indeed hilarious to the core even as there was a rhythm in the drama that matched with the intensity and the underlying layer of sadness. This brings me to the final act that definitely saw a drastic dip in the intensity, something that did divide the opinions of the viewers at my screening. You see Anora with a glimmer of hope for the first time when she comes face to face with Ivan’s mother, who absolutely treats her as a rug. It is this realisation of the rich winning at all cost that slowly sets in for Anora, even as Ivan doesn’t retaliate given the risk involved with the property that he does possess. This melancholy continues in a searing scene with Igor, a character who is the lone ‘silent’ supporter of Anora (a clever take on humanity given that he is Russian too), wherein Anora, now having developed a disgust for men reveals on how Igor could have r*ped her if they were alone. The finale scene was another moment wherein Anora was alone with Igor wherein she could choose to be vulnerable (as opposed to presenting herself to be strong in front of Ivan’s family), firstly thinking of using Igor as a rebound before bursting in tears. It is almost like a deconstruction of a fairy tale wherein Anora is now left to fend for herself, in the wake of her new life that wasn’t supposed to be this bad. The screenplay is brilliantly penned here although I would have liked if there was a little more accountability with respect to the minor dip in the intensity of the drama, both in terms of the humour and emotions.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues have a certain rhythm to them and the beats invariably are a major contributor to the humour in the drama. The music and BGM are top notch, and blend perfectly with the sizzling and comedic mood of the drama. The cinematography is exquisite comprising of frames that effectively create a contrasting ambience that acts as a searing symbol of the class divide which is one of the themes of the drama. The editing is crisp and sharp with a minor stutter with regard to a lag in the final act. Director Sean Baker does a brilliant job in constructing the drama which is essentially dual in nature. While it is a Rom-Com, he does offer an unflinching and searing commentary on the class divide between the two characters that adds layers to the hilarious drama, something that cuts the frills from its frivolous nature. The direction is excellent here and might be an early contender for an Academy Award.
Performances
The performances are excellent by the ensemble cast. Vache Tovmasyan as Garnick and Karren Karagulian as Toros are two hilariously penned characters, and both manage to tickle your funny bone. Darya Ekamasova as Ivan’s mother is top notch. Yura Borisov as Igor is a layered character who is tender with his emotions that he finds hard to reciprocate. But his shyness is a virtue while being sincere and righteous with his actions, in a sharp contrast to Ivan. He was wonderful to witness here. Mark Eydelshteyn as Ivan is excellent as the frivolous youth who just wants to have a good time in life, at times also at the expense of others. He is charming but loses his affable quality as the drama progresses, this while staying true to his goofy nature. As a result, you never hate him thereby making it a wonderfully enacted character. Mickey Madison as Anora is the soul of the film. She has a proper character arc at her disposal, and she manages to shift gears between comedy and an underlying layer of uncertainty and sadness really well. There is still innocence in her expressive eyes that finally give way to tears in a moving final scene (that may hit differently on second viewing), thereby summing up her performance that was brilliant to the core.
Conclusion
As a part of our MAMI coverage, the Palme d’Or Award winner at the Cannes Film Festival, Anora has a hilarious Cinderella-like premise that is packaged in a story that is not a fairy tale, while being laced with a sharp commentary on class divide that makes this drama a brilliant watch. This drama comes with my highest recommendation.
