Sex and money: they make the world go round and Sean Baker’s movies spin. Usually, there’s more of the former than the latter, in Tangerine, The Florida Project, and Red Rocket. And here again, Ani (Mikey Madison), a stripper, will trade what she has—which is sex—for what she needs—which is money. Enter Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn), the guileless son of a Russian oligarch, who’s not just an easy mark, he’s richer than even Ani can dream of. These two meet and it’s fireworks and fairytales—cue a Vegas wedding—at least until his parents get wind of it. At which point, watch out, because Mr. Baker is just getting warmed up.
Greta Gerwig’s Cannes jury bestowed the Palme d’Or on this breathless modern Cinderella story, and it’s hard to remember a more entertaining winner. As always with Baker’s films, Anora comes on fast and funny but it’s unmistakably situated in the real world, a place where power typically trumps romance, but where you should never underestimate the survival skills of a woman with nothing to lose.
Palme d’Or, Cannes 2024
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Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn, Karren Karagulian, Yura Borisov, Vache Tovmasyan
USA
2024
In English and Russian with English subtitles
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Credits & Director
Executive Producer
Ken Meyer, Clay Pecorin, Glen Basner, Alison Cohen, Milan Popelka
Producer
Sean Baker, Alex Coco, Samantha Quan
Screenwriter
Sean Baker
Cinematography
Drew Daniels
Editor
Sean Baker
Production Design
Stephen Phelps
Sean Baker
Sean Baker is a writer, director, producer, and editor. His credits include Starlet (2012), Tangerine (2015), the Oscar-nominated The Florida Project (2017), and Red Rocket (2021). Anora (2024), which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, is his latest film.
Filmography: Take Out (2004); Tangerine (2015); The Florida Project (2017); Red Rocket (2021)
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