Anora

 

Mikey Madison and Mark Eydelshteyn say Viva Las Vegas in “Anora.” © Neon photo and trailer via IMDb.com. https://www.imdb.com/video/vi4145202713/?ref_=ext_shr_em 

“Anora,” a screwball romantic comedy about a lap dancer who marries the son of a Russian oligarch has been likened to a “Pretty Woman” Cinderella story – only with less fairy tale and more raunch. Lots more raunch.

In fact, the “Pretty Woman” comparison ends about halfway through the story. From then on, it's more reminiscent of zany Keystone Cops chases from the early days of silent moviemaking. Only now there's sound, the characters drive Escalades and Mercedeses and speak Russian. 

More precisely, yell obscene epithets in Russian.

Coney Island sex worker Anora – she prefers the name Ani (Mikey Madison) – can speak Russian. And yell obscene epithets in either language. 

Madison's awesome performance – sexy, streetwise, explosive, hilarious … and quite lovable – along with writer/director Sean Baker's eccentric brilliance propelled the film to the coveted 2024 Palm d'or at Cannes, en route to beaucoup Golden Globe nominations. Oscar nods are sure to follow.

You have to sit through a lot of lap dances and other squirm-worthy moments, not to mention the violent and gross-out parts, but “Anora's” got a good heart, a unique perspective, and enough laugh-out-loud moments to be well worth a look.

Because she can speak Russian, Ani gets the call to service a young visitor to Headquarters, the sleazy gentleman's club (ha!) where she works. His name is Ivan (Mark Eydekshteyn), he's cheerful, enthusiastic, and young enough to make her seem like an older woman. 

He's also richer than rich. She learns this after a few return visits, followed by an invitation to a party at his waterfront mansion, all glass and modern art. When she asks about the source of his wealth, he googles his father's name on her phone.

Ivan likes sex almost as much as he loves video games, and best of all, he likes doing both at once. But the guy knows how to party, and Ani is more than happy to accept a generous check for being a fixture at his mansion for a week. When that gets old, Ivan moves the party to Las Vegas. When that gets old, he asks her to marry him.

That's Part One. Part Two is when Ivan's parents find out about the marriage. They send the Brooklyn Russian mafia to the mansion to straighten things out, but the thugs are in for a surprise when they meet Anora. She's so much more than their match, it's not long before mama and papa have to get on the private jet from back in the USSR and head for Brooklyn.

Other than pointing out that Toros (Karren Karagulian), head of the Brooklyn mobsters, is a Russian Orthodox priest for his day job, I won't spill anymore surprises from writer/director Baker's zany bag of tricks. Things get uproarious and ridiculous in a hurry, and aside from knowing that Ani is in serious danger in these guys' clutches, there's an underlying sense that she might be mightier than all of them put together.

In previous movies like “Red Rocket” and “The Florida Project,” Sean Baker displayed his fondness for sex workers and the little people at the Bernie Sanders end of the economic spectrum as worthy subjects for heartwarming moviemaking.

Baker likes pushing limits, and dancing on the brink of chaos. “Anora's” plot doesn't follow the usual three-act format, but is more of a madcap romp in which new characters keep showing up well into the story, each sending it around the bend in an unexpected direction. 

Obviously such antics aren't for everyone, especially G-rated audiences. You have to provide proof of age to even watch the trailer.

But savvy, sophisticated film audiences who aren't alarmed by sleazy sex, human failings or a vocabulary largely limited to one word, may well find “Anora” hits a bull's eye in the vicinity of their hearts.