水果派AV

Looking like something from the 1970s, it managed to launch Mikey Madison in a big way and make biting statements about oligarchs and their desire to push others around. Perfect for 2024.

In print, 鈥淎nora鈥� looks like another take on 鈥淧retty Woman.鈥� A call girl hooks up with a Russian teen, agrees to help him spend his money in foolish ways and winds up married. When his parents find out, they鈥檙e livid and want to end it immediately. Simple, right?

Not really. Writer/director/editor/producer Sean Baker subtly sneaks in messages about power, personal pride and unexpected romance. He also gets plenty of humor and that performance from Madison that鈥檚 perfection.

Using an affecting Brooklyn accent, she makes her way around a club like a worldly veteran, able to move in on the Russian market because she learned the language at home. When Ivan (an equally fascinating Mark Eydelshteyn) arrives听 flashing money at the club, it鈥檚 obvious Anora 鈥� or Ani, as she鈥檚 called 鈥� is the one to respond. She barters an off-site encounter and soon the two are spending what seems like a spring break at his monied home. There, we get humor from both of them and the idea that this could go longer than a weekend, a week, a month or a year.

A trip to Vegas seals the deal and then Baker kickstarts his second film 鈥� the 鈥渨hat do we do now?鈥� when the parents arrive. They鈥檙e just as stare-worthy.

But a bodyguard (nicely played by Yura Borisov) offers another wrinkle. How this squares and where Ani winds up is anyone鈥檚 guess 鈥� even within minutes of the ending.

The ride, however, is so enjoyable it鈥檚 impossible to consider it ending. That鈥檚 what makes Baker鈥檚 creation stand the test of time.

Madison, who scored on Pamela Adlon鈥檚 series, 鈥淏etter Things,鈥� finds an interesting, fresh personality that suggests she鈥檒l be an actress for the ages 鈥� one who could easily grab more than one Oscar, depending on how she plays it.

Eydelshteyn has a bright future as well. He鈥檚 so goofy 鈥� and charming 鈥� you could put him in any number of teen roles from the past five years (鈥淭he Descendants,鈥� 鈥淭he Power of the Dog鈥�) and he could deliver.

Even better, Baker鈥檚 future seems secure. While he may want to head in another direction, his batting average with folks on the fringes has been pretty remarkable. 鈥淎nora鈥� says there鈥檚 a place for those journeys and he鈥檚 just the person to guide them.

Enjoy 鈥淎nora鈥� and see if you don鈥檛 catch yourself thinking about the characters long after they鈥檝e left the screen. They, and the film, are indelible.听