‘I’ ON CULTURE
There have been many movies over the years centered on hookers. Camille, Rain, Anna Christie, Klute, Irma la Douce and Pretty Woman, for example. In some cases comedies, and others tragedies. Anora, an independent film from Sean Baker, can join the club and bring along its Oscar for Best Picture of the Year — along with ones for star Mikey Madison and a group of them for producer/writer/director/editor Baker.
It is officially a comedy/drama, and that fits. At times it is screamingly funny, and at others very serious. Also, be warned. It is very hard R rated. Think of it as a tough, nasty version of Pretty Woman. Anora (Madison) is a girl who we find out is a hooker, although we only see her “dating” the male lead. In this movie, she is a real working girl. There is nudity, a lot of sex and sex talk, and a huge number of swear words.
The story starts in Anora’s workplace, a strip joint/brothel in Brooklyn. But she does leave it at times for more private quarters to continue her work. And that is where she meets Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn), a spoiled Russian man-child who now learns there are things to do that are even more fun than video games. She is the ideal girl for him since she is Uzbek (possibly the only Uzbek character ever in a major film. It’s a land in Central Asia once dominated by the Soviet Union) and speaks Russian. He falls for her and offers her $15,000 to stay with him for a week at his parents’ home, which is deserted since they are back in Russia. Sounds a bit like Pretty Woman, doesn’t it?
But they fly to Las Vegas for more fun, and he convinces her to get married. The fun begins when they return to New York, and his parents find out. They call on one of their henchmen, Toros (Karren Karagulian), an Armenian priest. The call comes in the middle of him doing a christening, and he takes off, one of the funniest bits in a film I’ve seen since a Mel Brooks movie. He brings two of his strong-arm men Igor (Yura Borisov) and Garnik (Vache Tovmasyan) to put pressure on the young couple.
Of course, the mess keeps going on and gets stronger as the couple prepared for pushback, including screaming, threats, throwing things, barfing, a couple of car escapades and general chaos. Everything escalates when the Russian parents arrive to make things worse and crazier. And the ending, which is not really expected, gave a real kick to the film.
It is a strange movie in that unlike most films, it takes its time to show the world Anora lives in. Afterward, we see the destruction of much of the structure of this strange culture, as we see the young people fighting for their new dreams against their elders, who essentially want to keep traditions the same. Things eventually do slow down, as the characters begin to show more of themselves. The frenetic comedy of the middle slows, and we begin to see more subtle characteristics come through.
The cast is superb. Madison won the Oscar for her glowing lead performance. She may be a dirty pearl in a filthy oyster, but she has dreams and does not plan to give in. She is realistic enough to know that there is little chance of really winning, but tough and stubborn enough to fight for it.
Borisov is also excellent. He was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar and deserves it. While presumably just a tough guy, he is more self-aware than just about anyone else in the film.
The rest of the cast is fine. They are funny and bring out the different ethnicities all trying to function together in a corner of Brooklyn. Baker takes his time looking and occasionally mocking the beliefs, but he works hard to be true to the characterizations. And Madison shines all the way through.
The movie won the Oscar. Is it a great movie? No. It will never be mentioned alongside Casablanca or The Godfather. But it is a reasonably good movie, and it is free on Netflix. And Sean Baker may turn out to be our next great director. So, take a chance.
Just remember that it is not for the very young or sensitive. Keep that in mind as you make your choice.