Anora is so great!
It’s about an exotic dancer and occasional sex worker - Anora (or Ani) - who starts a relationship with her client Vanya, the son of a crazy wealthy Russian oligarch. Ani, played by Mikey Madison who is superb, is as tough as old boots and has a hell of a fire burning in her belly. There’s a lot of yelling in this film! Vanya does his share of yelling too and I imagine viewers of a certain (ahem) age, like me, will see a decent dose of Screech from Saved by the Bell in the actor who plays him, Mark Eidelstein.
When Vanya’s parents in Russia find out about the rushed Vegas wedding to “a whore” they react very badly and chaos ensues. Whilst I wouldn’t call this truly a comedy it is very funny at times, including when the Russian family’s local ‘agents’ who are meant to be supervising Vanya enact their wishes to have the marriage annuled whilst they make their way to New York.
Anora won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival which is the prize awarded to the director of the Best Feature Film at the festival. High praise! It’s also nominated for Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy) at the Golden Globes so it’s got a lot of fans and is well worth your time!
Anora is rated MA15+, runs for 139 minutes (long but doesn’t feel it) and is in cinemas now.