Sean Baker, the American indie director who won this year’s prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for Anora, has profound love for those on the underside of society. In the case of Anora, what’s not to love? Especially when we learn that her dream is to go on a honeymoon trip to Walt Disney World. Her Cinderella fantasies almost come true when an adorably curly-headed young Russian (drawn to her first because she can understand—if not really speak—his language) falls for her in a big way. After a whirlwind trip to Las Vegas, they return home as man and wife. The pampered son of a Russian oligarch, one who’s enjoying living alone in a fabulous seaside mansion, Ivan can give her everything—love, fun, drugs, a three-carat diamond ring. Not bad for a young woman who up to this point has had to scrupulously keep an eye on her finances.
But like all good things, the honeymoon quickly comes to an end. When his parents’ local fixer—who doubles as an Armenian priest—discovers the marriage, all hell breaks loose. The parents are quickly on a plane from Mosco, determined to scuttle the marriage and pursue a quick annulment. In their eyes, Anora is a gold-digger preying on their innocent boy. The situation develops into a riotous brouhaha, in which Ivan flees into the night and Anora is kept at bay by two rather inept thugs who’ll do just about anything to calm her down.
This is the point at which Ani’s combative spirit really comes into focus. She wants what she sees as hers, and nothing—not violence, not bribes, not sweet talk—is going to stop her. Her transformation from sexy wench to woman in love to warrior princess is both startling and fascinating. This is someone who is fearless, both with her hands and with her mouth, in demanding what she deserves. And, especially when she’s faced with Ivan’s obnoxious mother, we see what drives her: a desperate need to stick up for herself in a world where she has no other champion. Which leads, finally, to an at-first-perplexing moment in which we come to understand how hard she’s struggled to build a life for herself, and how much she’s lost along the way.
Mikey Madison, who plays Anora, has a short Hollywood resumé (she played one of the Manson girls in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) but I agree with all the pundits who insist this film will launch a major career. A SoCal girl who grew up (she insists) quite shy, she has adopted for Anora a bold, exuberant personality that doesn’t quit. What’s special about her is that she isn’t simply loud and sexy: there are layers in her portrayal that hint at the complexity of her life. Credit Sean Baker with bringing out the various facets of Anora’s approach to living: as his work in indie flicks like Tangerine shows, he loves actors who are fearless.
This evening, while tooling down the Sunset Strip, I saw a huge billboard for Anora: Madison looks totally seductive, with a bare shoulder peeking out from a fur coat. No question: a star is born.