Anora Review

“Some things, when they change, never do return to the way they once were. Butterflies for instance, and women who’ve been in love with the wrong man too often,” wrote Alice Hoffman in Practical Magic. Anora (Sean Baker.

After a chance encounter with Ivan “Vanya” Zakharov (Mark Eydelshteyn), the 21-year-old son of a Russian billionaire family, he becomes instantly enamoured with the persona Ani puts on under the neon lights. Outside of the club, her reality is much different and colder, living with her sister as a typical clueless twenty-something who forgets to pick up the milk. Despite this, their relationship continues, as Anora spends a whirlwind week as Vanya’s companion for lavish mansion parties and vying for his attention over video games.

Vanya, as a character, has everything at his disposal. When greeting Ani at his parents’ house ed off as his own, he expresses his irritation that the maids didn’t make the bed. It’s no surprise about his love for video games, as he seems to view everyone as ing characters in his own. Despite Anora being relatively tough and street-smart, she isn’t immune to being whisked up into a world that she would otherwise be a stranger to. She sacrifices her capability for common sense to fall deeper and deeper into the charming illusion that Vanya presents.

By the time Vanya decides to head to Las Vegas in search of better drugs, you already start dreading the impending aftermath. The city’s nature, as well as my hometown, is globally representative of a non-stop celebration. Swept up in the manic nature of Vanya’s lifestyle, Ani agrees to get married upon his proposal for the right price. The two quickly wed at the Little White Wedding Chapel, a Vegas staple for those who want Elvis to officiate their elopement. From there, they head down to Fremont Street, drunkenly shouting their marriage announcement to anyone around them.

Much like the plot of Cinderella, which Ani mentions as her favourite Disney princess when dreaming of her future honeymoon, or even similar Vegas-esque flicks like The Hangover, the glamorous party ends when the clock strikes midnight. This comes in the form of Vanya’s family discovering their union and telephoning Toros (Karren Karagulian), who enlists Garnick (Vache Tovmasyan) and Igor (Yura Borisov) to help gather the newlyweds to get their marriage annulled.

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The latter proves to be her “Prince Charming” in a sense, stepping into the mansion in a black tracksuit and a white pair of sneakers. While they don’t meet at a ball, they do have an incredibly comedic fight scene, as Ani gives one hell of an attempt to prevent Igor from tying her up. Given Baker’s primary introduction to Madison as an actress was through her turn as Ghostface in Scream, the fight’s staging felt reminiscent of a final battle, only with more object throwing and very little blood. However, their bond deepens as the search for the runaway Vanya progresses, as Igor and Ani seemingly relate to being outsiders of the group.

The tune selection is another driving force of hilarity in Anora, courtesy of music supervisor Matthew Hearon-Smith, who has worked with Baker for over a decade. Ani’s first at-home dance for Vanya is soundtracked to “Drip Drop” by Brooke Candy and Erika Jayne. The latter is a Real Housewife of Beverly Hills cast member whose now ex-husband was found guilty of embezzlement—making it feel on theme for the flick. Later on, Ani’s nemesis, fellow dancer Diamond (Lindsey Normington) performs her private routine to Iggy Azalea’s “Sally Walker.” Do with that what you will.

In addition to the Cinderella theme, Baker opts for a bunch of symbolism that might only be spotted with subsequent viewings. Throughout the film, Ani is surrounded by butterflies. In the beginning, she is discussing nail art with a fellow dancer as she chooses the insect on hers. We later see she seemingly also has two butterfly tattoos on the back of her legs. And, in another moment, one of the men refers to her as “the night butterfly,” even though she is the one watching her dream of a way out fly away.

But what would have happened had she stayed married to Vanya? The answer seemingly presents itself with Vanya’s mother, Galina (Daria Ekamasova). Although Ani dreamt of her first encounter with her mother-in-law being a sweet moment, she is iced out by the wealthy woman, who repeatedly reminds her she is not one of them. At one point, though, it is likely that Galina was too. Her husband revels in Ani’s last no-holding-back humiliation about making her pick up her fur coat off the ground, raising a point of whether the wealth is worth living a life without familial or romantic love. Although Anora winds up heartbroken, she is ultimately free to float wherever she wants—and might even find a warmer welcome in Igor’s grandmother instead.