Anora - A Star Is Born
Film
As if injected with the cold, steely exterior of the New York cityscape in which it displays, Anora, and the titular Ani (whose full name is Anora), is full of attitude and relentless tenacity. A chilling front that takes time and a lot of money to get beyond. On to warmer, cozier pastures of affluence and, well, sex. But as is the ethos of New Yorkers, don't you dare try to label what Anora, and Ani are. Ani may work as an exotic dancer, moonlighting as an escort if the situation is right, but calling her a sex worker is going to unleash the fiery wrath of a New Yorker who rejects being thought of as anything outside their worldview. A common thread of the independent free spirit that resounds throughout the concrete jungle. And Anora may be a ballistic screwball comedy at times, but calling it anything other than brilliant is a disservice to Baker and his stellar lead, Mikey Madison.
Born from the ashes of a classic Cinderella story, Anora is a modern and sleek rebirth of the classic tale. Ani (Madison) works all night in a dimly lit strip club where clientele of all walks of life constantly flows in and out of the building, only to return to a contentious roommate in their run-down house next to the train tracks. One night, her prince charming arrives at the club in the form of Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn), a childish and callous son of Russian oligarchs who can't get enough of the excess his parent's wealth affords him. As he endlessly vapes the night away, he asks for a dancer who speaks Russian, the manager of the club sends Ani his way, who learned Russian from her grandma but never likes to speak it, citing a terrible accent as her excuse. The semi-language barrier gently foreshadows Ani's ill-fit in Vanya's world, a delightfully subtle hint from Baker's tremendously written, albeit overlong, script. Regardless, she effortlessly charms Vanya into buying a private dance where she grinds on Vanya's lap after taking her thong off, claiming that's explicitly against the rules, while Vanya yells, "God bless America!"
While the two are on a trip in Las Vegas, Vanya pops the question to Ani, and they tie the knot in one of those classic little white chapels. Eventually, Vanya's parents catch wind of the supposed nuptials and dispatch Toros (Karren Karagulian), their "babysitter," so to speak, and his two henchmen Garnick (Vache Tovmasyan) and Igor (Yura Borisov) to force the happy couple to annul their marriage. What starts as a sleek, modern Cinderella story of how Vanya and Ani found love in a hopeless place quickly spirals into an expeditious and, at times, screwball comedy through quick-hitting lines and Ani’s physical rejection of the Russian goons’ manhandling.
Baker’s lively direction of these kinetic portions and Madison turning in a star-in-the-making performance deliver the heartbeat of Anora. A sometimes sporadic thumping devoid of rhythm, amplified by the chaos of Ani’s fight for her Cinderella story, while other times, it is an elegant symphony of human emotion and big city dreams. The belief in a dream is so potent that Ani is ready to kick, scratch, bite, and scream even if the feeling isn’t mutual from her Prince Charming. Rich kids, am I right? While the explosive comedic sets between Ani and Toros’ gaggle of goons are entertaining, fluid pieces of character development—at times toeing the line between sensitive and repulsive, such as Igor offering Ani the very scarf he used to gag her—you feel they’re overlong nature. To the point where they may have overstayed their welcome, suggesting Baker may have benefitted from leaving the editing up to someone else. But make no mistake, that’s the only gripe I have with what Baker’s constructed here. Anora is a firestorm of cinematic triumph. It is a complex and contradictory character study that’s equally entertaining and thought-provoking. The final scene, a common place for movies to end on a happy note, is Baker’s coup de grace. A soul-rattling sequence that certainly doesn’t feel good but is the pitch-perfect culmination of Ani’s journey and Baker’s ascension from the writer/director of indie-darlings Tangerine, The Florida Project and Red Rocket to one of the best films of the year and a surefire awards contender.
Froth
Winter is coming.
And with it, Stout season! There's nothing better than cozying up on the couch, watching the snow drift past the window, while sipping on a delicious dark beer full of roasty, chocolate delight. Mix in the frigid New York landscapes in Anora and you've got yourself one hell of a combo.
I tapped Single Hill Brewing's Ursa Minor Stout for this film and I can't recommend the experience enough. Sandwiched between roasted malty flavors is a semi-sweet cocoa filling, if you will, that provides a much desired depth to the flavor profile. Pouring as a near black beer, the Ursa Minor is still light and slightly carbonated to the point where it is easy to drink, yet satisfying with each sip. It's roasted aroma is sure to evoke some warm feelings while its low alcohol content allows you to savor each drop. The balance of the brew is a near mirror image of Anora's turns from romantic drama to wild comedy, bolstering the cinematic experience with an even keel of enjoyment. By the time the finale hits the screen, and the snow is falling upon Ani's ultimate moment, the Ursa Minor will be a welcome companion not only for emotional sanity but to sip on something sweet while contemplating the bitter realization of our own hidden fragility.
