Mikey Madison is a tornado of talent. It’s a wild ride with this talented actress playing a perky NYC sex worker who hooks up with a fun-loving, vapid rich Russian playboy. Writer/Director Sean Baker (The Florida Project) creates a chaotic escapade when his oligarch parents find out about their Las Vegas wedding and send their goons in to annul the nuptials.
Baker made the first 10 minutes of the film improv, following Ani, short for Anora, getting ready with the other girls before going to work in the club. Baker had Madison wing it, having observed the sex worker community and recreating it on the fly. Madison rented an apartment in Brighton Beach for a month to get to know sex workers, learning their lingo and slang. That’s where there is a large community of immigrant Russians and Eastern Europeans.
Ani knows everybody’s business and isn’t shy about sharing her opinions. She’s a cute, foul-mouthed pixie with a broad New York Accent who also speaks a little Russian. She’s delightfully inappropriate, but likable, against all better judgement.
This personality-plus pixie strikes gold when she services the 20-something son of a super-rich Russian family. The young man, she calls Vanya, falls for her and even though her Russian isn’t perfect, it’s good enough for him. He pays her $15K for a week of sexual exclusivity. Whacky and fun, they spend their days engaged in sex, TV and video games. Baker provides unique locations, luxurious mansions and Ani’s wardrobe, when she’s wearing clothes. It is eclectic and fun with her sweet giggly voice and big fluttering, flirty eyes.
Vanya impulsively asks to marry her so he can stay in America. They take off to Vegas for a quickie Elvis style ceremony and honeymoon. But when Ivan’s Mama and Papa, (Darya Ekamasova and Aleksey Serebryakov) get wind of the nuptials, they call in Ivan’s hilariously exasperated guardian, godfather and Priest, Toros (Karren Karagulian). They literally pull him out of a church service to find the new groom and dissolve the marriage while the panicked parents high tail it to America. Toros gathers his henchmen to keep the bride confined and under their watch.
This bride is perfectly happy being married to the Russian rich guy who has plied her with jewels, an enormous engagement ring and, what’s a Russian without a fur! She fights tooth and nail like a Tasmanian devil, constantly challenging them. Ani never stops talking while fighting to get free. Even tied up, she won’t stop making them nuts. That’s when Baker turns the film into a kidnap caper with slapstick, physical comedy.
There is plenty of sex, drinking, partying, with luxurious and gritty sets, furs, clothes, and outrageous activities as this becomes almost a mob crime story. One of the Russian crew, Igor, (Yura Borisov), is mostly silent, but it’s clear he’s watching Anora closely. Even when she lashes out at him, he seems to appreciate her spunk. Igor is the strong, silent type but also someone to watch. The Writer/Director turns this film into an action flick before wrapping it up with a surprising twist.
Baker wrote the role of Ani expressly for Mikey Madison, (Scream, Adams Family) and we know why. Madison is a fearless force to be reckoned with. Her Anora runs the gamut of emotions from sweet to tough, hilarious to rage, without missing a beat. Sean Baker cooks up a truly bubbling pot of borscht, with Mikey Madison as the captivating main course.
Neon 2 hour 19 minutes R
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