16/49
in Hollywood and Scream
Tale
Anora, a young sex worker from Brooklyn, meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. When news reaches Russia, her fairy tale is threatened when his parents travel to New York to seek an annulment. Mikey Madison reflects on the roles that shaped her path to Anora, from Better Things; to Once Upon a Time…
Reference: Close-Up: Anora (2024)
At a press conference at the Cannes Film Festival, Mickey Madison said that director Sean Baker and his wife, producer Samantha Kwan, would play out different sex positions to demonstrate to the actors what he wanted them to do.. The setting is enticing. Mikey Madison plays the title role, a New York lap dancer.
Then the story captivates us
She madly marries (the immature son of a Russian oligarch) and then ends up in a terrible jam. There is a standout performance from Madison, but all the performances are good. An abundance of nudity and sex is not in vogue in the mainstream picture, but both this and the high drama, which is increasingly comic, have a rare brightness.
The conclusion is not a disappointment
Amazing locations too – Las Vegas and off-season Coney Island are expertly captured. At over two hours, it’s too long, but it almost holds our attention because we can’t imagine how it’s going to end. London Film Festival screenings are sold out and I’m not surprised.
It’s dynamic content from a fearless director
Check out our list of exciting new films from this year’s film festivals, including Venice, TIFF, New York Film Festival and more.
