There’s a lot of social media buzz about the performance of Mikey Madison
in Anora. Some are even speculating that her performance is worthy of an
Oscar nomination. After seeing the film I can confirm that Madison is
outstanding but Oscar worthy I’m not so sure.
Madison plays Anora or Ani to her friends, a young sex worker from
Brooklyn, who on a trip to Vegas, marries Ivan, the son of a Russian
oligarch (Mark Eidelshtein).
On hearing of their son’s marriage his Russian parents, embarrassed that
he’s married a prostitute, tasks their New York based henchmen to track
down Anora and Ivan with a view to getting the marriage annulled.
The plot of Anora is pretty simple as Anora and the Albanian henchmen spend
most of the film trawling New York’s streets and bars looking for Ivan.
Some have likened Anora to a modern day Pretty Woman (1990) and for the
first 15 minutes it certainly feels that’s the way it’s heading. However
after that it becomes much darker and any similarity to Pretty Woman is
gone.
Madison, as I said is good, but her performance mostly relies on her
screaming and shouting for the entire length of the film.
Anora has some nice touching and funny moments just don’t go expecting
Pretty Woman and you won’t be disappointed.
