Wake up, Cinderella! – Beyond Bollywood

Young Mikey Madison truly blows your mind as the Brooklyn stripper in love. Sean Baker’s Cannes winner is hilarious but also exhibits certain misogyny.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5 / 5)

By Mayur Lookhar

In life, miracles do happen, but a fairy tale ending is usually the stuff of fantasies. Typically, fairy tales tell stories of the middle class or the poor. Brooklyn’s plush strip clubs are the last places where one can imagine a Cinderella story. Sean Baker’s films often focus on the lives of marginalized individuals, particularly women, highlighting their struggles and resilience in difficult circumstances.

Was it a difficult choice for young Anora aka Ani (Mikey Madison) to choose the life of a stripper-hooker in Brooklyn? In a material world, desires can easily overpower conscience. Presumably, unlike some cultures, Western society doesn’t necessarily look down on the business of pleasure as much.  Anora means honour in Latin. and the lady looks happy in her world. Her colleagues envy her drop-dead gorgeous looks, which make her a hot property in this plush Brooklyn strip club called HQ. Perhaps most sex workers around the globe will tell you that their loyalty strictly lies with the big bucks, and love is something that is detrimental to their careers. What was that Dabangg (2010) dialogue: “Thappad se nahi, pyaar se darr lagta hai”? For the Anoras, they don’t mind a spanking, but it’s love that they fear. So, where is the scope to fit in a Cinderella story?

An HQ may be an unholy place for the fictitious Prince Charming, but throughout time, harems have served lusty kings and princes. In the modern world, it’s not bloodlines but wallets that grant such lusty privileges. Anora is charmed by the antics of Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn), the immature son of Russian oligarch Nikolai Zakharov (Aleksei Serebryakov). He offers good money to Anora to be his girlfriend for two weeks. During this time, the 21-year-old skinny guy proposes marriage, taking Anora by surprise. The stripper feels he is simply messing with her mind, but soon they jet off to Las Vegas, for a very private marriage. Just two weeks earlier, Anora was simply a Brooklyn stripper, but now she is the daughter-in-law of a Russian oligarch.

Is this any less than a Cinderella story? Does it have a fairy tale ending, though? Shortly after their marriage, the bubble bursts as reality strikes Anora when her aggrieved in-laws send Toros and two henchmen—Garnick and Igor—to tackle the crisis.

Forget the dirty streets; up until their arrival, Anora’s world began to feel like a Cinderella story. Only Sean Baker can create a neo-fairy tale in this Brooklyn underbelly. The moment these men arrive, one fears for Anora’s well-being. However, she isn’t prepared to let others dictate her life. The brave Brooklyn stripper, of Russian ancestry, dares to look the big Russian men and one Armenian in the eye. Concerns over her safety remain, but the chaos that unfolds has you in splits. Much of this is due to the rather gentle demeanor of Toros (Karren Karagulian), Armenian Garnick (Vache Tovmasyan), and the reticent Igor (Yura Borisov). This is a far cry from the stereotypical portrayals of Russians and Eastern Europeans in Hollywood films. 

Anora (2024) thrives on its slapstick humour, which feels realistic, and the organic reactions to one drama after another. Viewers are hooked on each scene, following it like the camera. Cinematographer Drew Daniels does full justice to Baker’s taut screenplay, wonderfully capturing the actions and emotions of the characters.

Baker is said to have explored Brooklyn’s shady bylanes, particularly its Russian hub, for reference. The writer-director even brought in former sex worker Andrea Werhun, a Canadian writer and actress best known for her 2018 memoir Modern Whore, as a creative consultant. We reckon locals are the best judges of Baker’s world, but it sure is compelling.

Young Madison steals the show with a virtuoso performance. The Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) and Scream (2022) actor has a terrific screen presence and backs it up with the right intensity. Given its world, there’s no room for inhibition, and Madison has none as she charms us as this seductive diva. Anora isn’t all about skin show; only the mentally tough can survive in Brooklyn’s shady bylanes. Though petite, Anora is one tough girl, and her Russian blood comes in handy. Madison’s unapologetic and strong performance earns respect for Anora.

Though immature, Mark Eydelshteyn’s Vanya isn’t a snooty spoilt brat. Eydelshteyn’s wiry frame and goofy look make him an apt choice for the role. He splurges his parents’ money on the finest wines, women, and drugs, but his first love is video games. The Vanyas can never be likable, but Eydelshteyn’s goofy personality amuses you.

Karren Karagulian’s Toros is a part-time priest who is pulled from the middle of a baptism to attend to the Zakharov family crisis, which serves as a baptism by fire. As a priest, he would typically have a calm demeanor, but the chaos of Anora screaming over the phone has him cursing in fear at what is transpiring on the Zakharov property in Brooklyn. Karagulian’s personality is what draws you to Toros.

Vache Tovmasyan is hilarious as the argumentative Armenian Garnick. Despite his size, he still comes across as a gentleman who doesn’t retaliate when Anora breaks his nose. However, he does make it clear that she should also be charged for assault. During one such argument, the poor henchman blurts out why he is even in America and he would rather happily go back to Armenia.

The one character that is truly intriguing is Igor (Yuri Borisov). He’s the first in the firing line of Anora as he struggles to tie up the screaming stripper. Having had his arms around her, Anora hates him the most and later likens him to a rapist. All along, he’s silently endured whatever this strange girl has thrown at him. Will his patience finally break when he is called a rapist? At one point, we fear Anora has upset the big, partly bald Russian, but the man simply replies, “Why would I do that? I’m not a rapist.”

Come the critical hour, Igor stuns the Zakharovs when he suggests their son should apologise to Anora. It’s remarkable how, despite all the hate and abuse from Anora, Igor still feels for her. An Igor reminds us to never judge a book by its cover.

Anora is thoroughly enjoyable for the best part of its runtime. However, one may question Baker’s depiction of Vanya’s mother, Galina (Darya Ekamasova), who is portrayed as as loud, manipulative, and dominant woman primarily responsible for spoiling her son. The billionaire father is also intimidated by his wife.  Nikolai Zakharov smiles at his wife arguing with Anora. Additionally, Anora’s failure to foresee the bitter truth perhaps justifies her diva billing. The naivety of these principal female characters might suggest a degree of misogyny, which is unlike Sean Baker. Imagine if this were a Sandeep Reddy Vanga film; feminists would likely dismiss Anora as a misogynistic work. Ironically, though, the West has nothing but praise for Anora. The Palme d’Or at Cannes is a testament to its quality and a deserved honour for Baker’s humorous romantic comedy drama.

Anora was the closing film at the MAMI Film Festival.