While I've definitely enjoyed Sean Baker's movies, I don't think I've adored his work as much as many critics seem to; they always just miss the mark of excellence for me. For instance, I thought The Florida Project was marred by the performances of its non-actors, and Red Rocket was about 20 minutes too long.
Anora is probably my favorite film of his so far, elevated by Mikey Madison and her electric performance as the titular Anora, a twenty-three year old exotic dancer and sex worker in New York. One night, because she is the only dancer in her club who speaks Russian, she is encouraged to chat up a young Russian named Vanya, played to perfection by Mark Eidelstein. Vanya takes a liking to "Ani," ultimately paying her for sex, inviting her to his New Year's Eve party, and eventually offering her $15,000 to be his girlfriend for a week. That week leads to a Vegas marriage, which Vanya's oligarch parents back in Russia are none to happy about.
Anora feels almost like three movies. The first third is a fun, gritty take on a Pretty Woman type of story, a whirlwind of sex, drugs, parties, and lavish spending that's intoxicating to watch. The middle third, which brings in Russian and Armenian goons (all excellently played by Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan, and especially Yura Borisov, as Igor), feels like something from a Safdie brothers movie, a tense night full of potential violence as characters visit multiple New York locations. And the final third brings this Cinderella story to a realistic finish, with a final scene that brought me to tears.
Anora is a movie with faults, but every single performance in it is outstanding, making it easy to overlook some of the story's repetitions and weaknesses.