A One Mann’s Movies review of “Anora” (2024) (From the 2024 London Film Festival).
Frank Marshall’s “Pretty Woman” from 1990 was up to this point (I believe) the definitive ‘rich guy pays a prostitute to be his girlfriend for a week’ film. But in that film you only got the most fleeting glimpse of Vivian’s breasts as the camera panned behind a slatted bedhead (and they almost certainly were ‘stunt breasts’ and not Julia Roberts’). Now we have “Anora”… and the nudity and sex is a whole lot more explicit!
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
“Anora” Plot Summary:
Ani (Mikey Madison) is a sex worker in New York who, because she can speak Russian, is assigned to a rich Russian kid called Ivan (Mark Eidelshtein). The pair really hit it off and Ivan wants to pay Ani to be his ‘girlfriend’.
Certification:
UK: 18; US: R. (From the BBFC web site: “Strong sex, drug misuse”)
Talent:
Starring: Mikey Madison, Mark Eidelshtein, Lindsey Normington, Emily Weider, Luna Sofía Miranda, Vincent Radwinsky, Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan, Vlad Mamai, Yura Borisov, Darya Ekamasova, Aleksey Serebryakov.
Directed by: Sean Baker.
Written by: Sean Baker.
Running Time: 2h 19m.
“Anora” Summary:
Positives:
- There’s a fabulous interplay between Ani (Mikey Madison) and Ivan (Mark Eidelshtein).
- The funniest scene in the film is a racous scene between Ani and three Armenian goons.
- Mikey Madison and Mark Eidelshtein will be breakout stars from this.
Negatives:
- Overly flabby at 140 minutes… outstayed its welcome for me.
- There is a very uncomfortable discussion about rape.
Review of “Anora”:
Setting the scene.
You get a feel for the sexual content of the film as we scan across an assortment of sex workers at Ani’s club doing lap dancers with their clients. This is not a film for prudes or for kids to comfortably watch with their parents/grandparents!
A new and sexy Gere/Roberts combo.
After establishing Ani’s main friend at work – Lulu (Luna Sofía Miranda) – and enemy – Diamond (Lindsey Normington.. the “ginger c**t”) – we quickly get into the new relationship between Ani and Ivan (or Vanya). Ivan is hilarious with his mannerisms (blowing raspberries all the time) and actions and this will surely be a breakout movie for the Russian Mark Eidelshtein.
Mikey Madison also has a real screen presence – some shots of her in close up (with her clothes on, I hasten to add) are exquisitely beautiful.
The best scene of the movie.
For reasons I will leave you to find out, Ivan and Ani get into big trouble and three Armenian heavies are sent to ‘control’ the situation. Ivan runs off leaving Ani in the apartment with Garnick (Vache Tovmasyan) and Igor (Yura Borisov) and then subsequently their boss Toros (Karren Karagulian). What happens in this 20 to 30 minute segment is hilarious and hits a height that the rest of the film, unfortunately, fails to match.
Overly flabby.
There is a lot of funny stuff in the script, but extended scenes in a search for Ivan across the city become tiresome. I would have personally cut a good 20 to 30 minutes out of the film to make it a whole lot tighter: maintaining comedy for over 100 minues is a tall order and this doesn’t completely pull it off.
Rape worthy?
One discussion which really made me uncomfortable was one between Ani and Igor (Yura Borisov) about rape. Ani basically berates Igor for not wanting to rape her (they are alone in the house together). Igor protests that he is “not a rapist”. She basically asks “why wouldn’t you” … “is it because you are a faggot-arsed bitch”. I found this offensive: the assumption that all men were either rapists or else gay. My sympathy for Ani’s character waned.
Summary Thoughts on “Anora”
This is an adventurous film that doesn’t pull its sexual punches. I enjoyed it a lot but it outstayed its welcome with me and fell short of being the classic comedy-drama that it had ambition to be.
Where to Watch it (Powered by Justwatch)
Trailer for “Anora”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1HxTmV5i7c . (The trailer gives away elements of the plot which I have chosen to keep secret)
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