ANORA is not your typical heroine, nor your typical comedy. It's atypically disarming with Mikey Madison in the lead as Ani, an exotic dancer who gets romanced by a young Russian, Ivan. Ivan (Mark Eydelsheyn) the prodigal son of wealthy oligarch parents meets Ani at the topless strip club where she works. Ani gets assigned to entertain Ivan because she speaks Russian. Luckily for her, Ivan is a big tipper and she happily agrees to see him outside of work. Ani arrives at his home and thinks she hit the jackpot with a wealthy client who can't seem to get enough of her. The two negotiate a rate for spending a week with him (not unlike "Pretty Woman"). Unlike "Pretty Woman" Ani has a lot more going for her than just a dazzling smile. Madison's portrayal should've earned her the Golden Globe. Ani is more than just a street smart sex worker. She's totally captivating and heartbreaking. When Ivan proposes marriage on their Vegas spending spree we watch her fairytale romance become a nightmare. Ivan's extravagant lifestyle and hard partying dazzled Ani, as did the 3 carat ring and sable coat. The appeal wears thin as she realizes Ivan, her spouse after a quick Vegas wedding, is a louse and has no interest outside of sex and video games. The honeymoon is definitely over when Ivan's parents get wind of this whirlwind marriage and send their lackey Priest and Russia thugs to end it. Ivan makes a break for it when the Russians barge into the home. Ani gets tied up by the bumbling Russian mob but not before Ani lands a few blows. The movie takes an energetic turn for the better as the battered thugs along with Ani, head out to find Ivan. The Russians, to end their marriage and Ani, to prove their marriage is the real deal. Their search takes them on an excruciatingly funny and exhausting escapade over night through Brooklyn haunts. They locate an inebriated and in-flagrant Ivan who they drag him to meet his furious parents. The parents have just landed in their private plane and commandeered their son and the situation. With the light of day Ani sees things clearly but she will not go quietly into the night. Madison's tour-de-force performance portrays a tough broad with unabashed intensity that when her carapace finally cracks, we're ambushed by her vulnerability and emotional pratfall. The biting, social parody of the wealthy and entitled assuming a given sovereignty is hilarious. Even so, the affecting power of ANORA is a quiet alliance that forms between those being exploited. ANORA is at times annoying but more often alluring thanks to an incredible performance by Madison which is sure to be noted.
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