Winner of the coveted Palme d’Or at Cannes earlier this year, Sean Baker’s Anora seems poised to be a major film this awards season. Some predict it could be what finally makes Baker a household name, but I would suggest that’s not what he’s looking for at all, which is what allows him to pursue the projects that he does.
Anora continues Baker’s empathetic exploration of society’s marginalized communities, with an emphasis on the plight of sex workers. The film centers on a Brooklyn stripper who falls in love with and elopes with the son of a Russian oligarch, causing the young man’s parents to try and force an annulment.
Mikey Madison’s lead performance has been raved about by critics, and could be her breakout role after appearances in Scream and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
SYNOPSIS: Anora, a young sex worker from Brooklyn, gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as his parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled.
The film also stars Mark Eydelshteyn, Yura Borisov, Karren Karaguilian, and Vache Tovmasyan. Baker’s previous films Starlet, Tangerine, The Florida Project, and Red Rocket don’t suggest a director looking to make a name for himself, but will it happen anyway?
Anora opens on October 18th via NEON, and internationally through Focus Features and Universal Pictures.
