You know that moment in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" when Jason Segel's Peter finds himself hopelessly falling for a Hawaiian hotel employee played by Mila Kunis? Peter is elated the morning after what he perceives to be an excellent first date with a woman in customer service while on vacation. He's swiftly brought down to Earth when his new bartender friend quips, "I'll bet you think strippers like you, too."
In "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," Kunis' character does, in fact, like Peter, and for all the right reasons. Despite being a hotel client, he's also funny, respectful, and charming toward her. These qualities make for an attractive blurring of these two characters' professional and private lives, not dissimilar to the rare instances when a stripper might see her client outside of the workplace.
Director Sean Baker takes this blurring concept and heightens it in the film "Anora," starring Mikey Madison in a career-defining role. Madison plays the titular Anora, a Brooklyn-based stripper whose clientele ranges from married men to frat boys and beyond. One night, she entertains a group of young, clearly wealthy Russian 20-somethings as she strikes up a flirtatious conversation with Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn), the son of an oligarch.
Vanya is obsessed with Anora, particularly because of her beauty and the fact that she speaks fluent Russian. The two begin a situationship outside of the strip club, often meeting at Vanya's luxurious beachside estate for sex, which Anora is generously paid for. What starts as a simple transaction between two young lovers turns into a romance that involves a hard-partying lifestyle and an impromptu trip to Las Vegas, where the couple exchange vows.
Married and back in New York, Anora's life seems like perfection. She quits stripping and devotes all of her time and energy to keeping the marriage afloat. That is until Vanya's father hears of their Las Vegas wedding and sends his henchmen (Yura Borisov and Vache Tovmasyan) to force an annulment.
Little do they know, Anora isn't going down without a fight.
"Anora" takes some risky turns in its 2 hours and 20 minutes of screen time, but the payoff is spectacular. Mikey Madison pulls off the impossible in this film, true dedication to a performance so layered that the laughs arrive just as quickly as the drama that unfolds. It's because of Madison that the film works on the multiple levels that it does, showcasing Anora's worth as both a human being and a woman demanding the respect she deserves.
The film traverses several genres simultaneously, leading its audience to believe the romance in its first act while anticipating the comedy and drama in the following acts. Vanya is a little shitbag of a person, but Eydelshteyn's ease and charm as the character makes him lovably hysterical at times. The violence and confusion surrounding Anora and Vanya's relationship comes fast and furious. Still, her connection with Borisov's henchman, Igor, gives the film a much-needed levity in times of struggle.
Borisov might be the standout in a story that dives deep into the trenches of wealth and power that can get muddled about who the real heroes are. Mute through most of his interactions with Anora, Igor's behavior is a balancing act of allegiance to his criminal bosses and a woman who has caught his eye. Borisov's slight glances and half smile show Igor's true intentions, perfect symmetry to Madison's manic work on screen opposite some ruthless characters.
Sean Baker makes a case for some of the most impressive acting and funny situations in film this year, leveling Mikey Madison up to a worthy awards season contender. It's not the typical fare that attracts Oscar attention, but it's a film striving for realism in the face of some unruly political and social abnormalities. Largely due to Madison's and Borisov's performances, "Anora" demonstrates that love and laughter can come in the unlikeliest of forms.