ANORA

A Cinderella story turned into a nightmare in a dark tale of the haves and have-nots. Mikey Madison is riveting as Anora, bringing both gravitas and gumption to her titular role.

A handsome billionaire meets a vivacious sex worker. They flirt, and impressed by her, he hires her for an entire week in exchange for a hefty sum. She enjoys her stay at his fancy mansion, offering him incredible sex in return for a lavish lifestyle. On a trip to Vegas, he impulsively proposes, and they marry at a local chapel, making her the unlikely Cinderella who marries her Prince Charming. However, this isn’t exactly how things unfold for Anora, also known as Ani, in Sean Baker’s heartbreakingly beautiful 2024 film of the same name.

The basic plot of Anora bears a striking resemblance to Garry Marshall's 1990 rom-com, Pretty Woman, starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. However, unlike the fairy-tale ending that Vivian (Roberts) receives, the "happily-ever-after" is only the beginning of Ani's real journey. In fact, Anora is a rawer, more realistic, and more brutal version of how Pretty Woman might have turned out if it were made with a focus on realism, rather than through a rose-tinted, Disney-esque lens.

Anora Mikheeva (Mikey Madison), who goes by Ani, is a 23-year-old stripper living in Brighton Beach, a Russian-American neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. The film opens with Ani servicing various male clients, stripping, and performing sexual acts. She’s stunning, with a dazzling smile, a vibrant personality, and the confidence of a no-nonsense businesswoman who knows her worth and commands her rate. 

One day, Ani is introduced to Ivan Zakharov (Mark Eydelshteyn), known as Vanya, the 21-year-old only son of wealthy Russian oligarch Nikolai Zakharov. Though he's in the U.S. to study, Vanya spends his time visiting strip clubs, partying, playing video games, and indulging in recreational activities (including drugs). Vanya is quickly smitten with the vivacious Ani. They flirt, have sex a few times, and he proposes that she stay with him for a week, pretending to be his girlfriend in front of his spoiled, rich friends. She demands $15,000 for the arrangement, and they fly to Vegas for fun.

One evening, Vanya impulsively proposes to Ani, professing his genuine love for her and his desire to stay in the U.S. to secure a green card rather than return to Russia to work for his father's company, which he despises. Though hesitant, Ani is won over by Vanya’s boyish charm, and in true Hollywood rom-com fashion, they elope to a Vegas chapel and get married.

Ani quits her job and moves into Vanya's mansion, but he shows little interest in being a husband aside from their regular sexual activities. He'd rather play video games than spend quality time with her. What begins as a Cinderella story soon turns into a nightmare when Vanya’s parents send his Armenian godfather, Toros, and his henchmen, Igor (Yura Borisov) and Garnik, to Vanya's mansion to drag him and Ani back to Russia and force them to annul their marriage.

When Toros's men arrive at Vanya's mansion, he immediately flees, leaving his new bride to face them alone. Igor and Garnik assault Ani, gag her, hold her hostage, rip her wedding ring off her finger, and offer her $10,000 to agree to the annulment. Ani fights back, protesting against Toros’s men, insisting that she and Vanya love each other and that their marriage is legitimate. At one point, she even claims to be pregnant (though she isn't) and believes Vanya will soon rescue her. However, as time passes and she realizes he isn't returning, she reluctantly agrees to help Toros, Igor, and Garnik find him.

Ani, along with Toros, Igor, and Garnik, heads into South Brooklyn in search of Vanya. The men are focused on completing their task and staying in their boss’s good graces (Vanya’s parents), while Ani, the hopeful young bride, still believes her husband loves her and will fight for both her and their marriage.

When Ani’s best friend, Lulu, texts to say Vanya is at her former workplace, Ani and the trio go there, finding him drunk with one of the sex workers. Ani tries to talk to him calmly, pleading with him to save her from the henchmen sent by his parents and to stand up for their relationship. However, Vanya brushes her off, and Ani comes to the painful realization that she married an immature, selfish man-child who only married her for her American citizenship and has no intention of saving her or their marriage.

Still unwilling to give up, Ani tries to sober Vanya up as they are ordered to meet his parents, Nikolai and Galina, who have come to annul the couple's hasty marriage. When Ani meets Vanya's mother, Galina, she puts on her best smile—the one she uses for work—and greets her mother-in-law, only to be met with disdain. Vanya coldly tells Ani that he never loved her and that she needs to accept that their marriage is over. Despite Ani's desperate attempt to threaten legal action against the Zakharovs, the annulment proceeds in Nevada, as Nikolai and Galina demand, with Vanya quietly accepting his new fate and Ani left to face hers. At this point, I stopped watching the film as a critic and, instead, felt like a concerned friend watching a loved one go through painful heartbreak thinking, "I hate to say this, but I told you so."

As a viewer, I was intrigued by Vanya and Ani's interactions from the moment they first met. To me, Ani was a self-made, solid, and self-assured woman. When she first met Vanya, the rich, spoiled only son of wealthy Russian oligarchs, she was likely attracted to his boyish charm, amused by his nonchalant sense of humor, endeared by his youth, and enamored by his wealth and the way he spent money effortlessly. Mikey Madison is riveting as Anora, bringing grace, gravitas, and gumption in equal measure. She is captivating as the vivacious Ani and heartbreakingly vulnerable as the regular girl Anora outside of work.

Vanya is rich and privileged, living in his own bubble, unaware of the struggles and hardships outside his social class—a theme that Sean Baker has intricately explored in his other directorial projects. 

However, this isn’t just another Cinderella story or a typical rich boy-poor girl saga. The woman in question doesn’t come from merely a marginally backward background, but is a sex worker—a profession that is both romanticized and shamed. In one scene, Ani passionately advocates to her boss that sex workers like her should be entitled to health insurance and financial benefits, a sad reminder that these women satisfy men’s sexual desires daily, risking their own well-being in the process, yet remain denied the benefits they rightfully deserve.

Anora is undoubtedly my personal favorite film of last year because it conveys so much without ever feeling preachy or agenda-driven. As a critic, I dug deep to find any major flaws and am happy to report that I have only words of praise for Anora.

The film, much like its eponymous protagonist, is charming, alluring, witty, verbose, pragmatic, and strong-willed, with its heart, intent, and politics firmly in the right place—and unafraid to express them. The dialogue is quick-witted and clever, and the actors play off each other wonderfully.

The following morning, Igor drives Ani home, giving her the $10,000 Toros promised upon her annulment from Vanya. He also returns her wedding ring, which he took when she was held hostage at Vanya's mansion. Offering to carry her luggage to her door, Igor's unexpected kindness surprises and touches Ani. Moved by the gesture, she climbs onto his lap in the car. As things progress, Igor gently brushes her hair from her face and pulls her in for a kiss. Ani, perhaps taken aback by this tenderness, reacts by angrily hitting and slapping him.

Slightly taken aback, Igor holds Ani in a tender embrace and gently pecks her on the head as she finally breaks down in tears. The ending, truly beautiful, invites various interpretations from different viewers. On a political level, Anora was released shortly before President Trump's second term in office, during a time when his administration strongly advocated for anti-immigrant, anti-citizenship, anti-minority, anti-women, and anti-abortion policies. The film subtly yet powerfully addresses these issues, serving as a poignant commentary on the stances perpetuated by his government.

However, on a more personal and humane level, I believe Ani’s journey represents a path to self-acceptance and healing. A quick search reveals that "Ani" means "I" in Hebrew, which reflects the protagonist’s earlier focus on her own dreams and ambitions—how she strives to improve her life for a better future. Throughout the film, Ani is devastated by Vanya's betrayal and the annulment of their brief marriage, but by the end, she comes to terms with her true self. She transforms into her self-actualized Anora, which means “light” and “honor.”

In the end, Anora rises above the jealous sneers of colleagues, the dismissive stares of her roommate, and the objectifying gazes of sleazy male clients. She is finally seen, valued, and cared for as a human being.

Our unlikely Cinderella trades a gilded mansion and perfect glass slippers for the far more priceless treasures of self-worth and honor.

Anora is now streaming on Prime Video.