Ronit J

Anora (2024) Synopsis:

A young stripper from Brooklyn meets and impulsively marries the son of a Russian oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairy tale is threatened as his parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled.

Anora (2024) Review:

I discovered this film thanks to Instagram. The absurd premise with its balance of light humour and heavy themes seemed like the perfect weekend watch. Besides, I’ve only watched a handful of Thai films and loved every single one of them, so I thought this would be a safe bet.

But, did I like it?

Dreamy Romance waiting to burn out

The film opens with a pan shot of multiple men sitting in adjacent booths getting lap dances from strippers in varying states of undress. We finally stop at one, who dances rhythmically as the camera stops at her face. This is Anora. And this strip club, the Headquarters, is her world.

Cut to a very mechanical montage of Anora propositioning private dances to patrons of the club. There’s no passion to this scene. It’s all mechanical. It’s work. Even when we meet the Russian Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn), he’s just another patron, albeit a little richer. As the story progresses, we get the equivalent of a Cinderella story. Anora sees the world of this Russian Oligarch’s son. It’s full of riches and excess. She becomes his private escort for Act I, and it is nothing short of a dreamy romance. It’s fun, debauchery, sex, and repeat. In Anora, sex scenes aren’t as sexy as they are chores. They end abruptly, giving us mere glimpses of what Anora has to endure to earn her bread.

Everything changes when Vanya asks her to marry him. They have their Vegas wedding, complete with a teenage-romance-like honeymoon phase when they go back home. This is around 45 minutes into the film, and that’s where the fun really begins.

A subversive dark comedy

SPOILERS!

Vanya and Anora’s wedding becomes known to some powerful-looking people. They look like Russian Gangsters. Well, they’re Armenian, but still. What follows is a hilarious comedy of errors. Vanya runs away, leaving Anora with the ‘gangsters’. Anora embarks on a journey to search for him to get answers. As things unfold, it’s revealed that the ‘gangsters’ aren’t really criminals, just rich folk employed by richer folk. Yes, they have strong arms, but they aren’t in any way malicious. They’re just looking out for Vanya.

And Vanya? The dreamy prince charming? Turns out he’s just a rich spoilt brat who hates his parents and acts out in ways that are damaging not only to his family’s reputation, but also the many people he ends up brushing past. Anora is just a plaything for him. A collateral in his emotional war against his parents. The more you think of it, Anora is a deeply tragic film that shows how easy it is for the rich and powerful to just use and throw the poor and helpless. The scenes themselves are hilarious because of the performances, but the underlying tale is heartbreaking.

I want to particularly praise Karren Karagulian’s portrayal of Toros. He was my favourite part of the film.

Is Anora (2024) over-hyped?

The distributor Neon did admit to spending $18 million on marketing Anora (a film made on $6 million). And looks like the investment paid off. While Anora is a fun, entertaining watch, that’s all it is.

Don’t go in expecting the profundity of Parasite or even How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies. I wouldn’t even consider Anora one of the best films of 2024. But, it won its share of awards, so people are going to flock to watch it.

Anora (2024) Ending Explained (SPOILERS)

Anora’s marriage is annulled. Anora flies back to Brooklyn with Igor in Economy, a stark contrast to the excess of Act 1. She spends one last night in the mansion—Toros’ permission—before Igor escorts her back to her sister’s housee.

On that night, Anora and Igor exchange some retorts, hinting at a potential fling between them. The next day, Igor withdraws the $10,000 cash and gives it to Anora as promised. The two drive back to her sister’s house, where Igor reveals that he kept the diamond ring that Vanya had gifted Anora, and gives it to her. After he leaves her luggage on the porch, Igor sits back in the car, where Anora leans in to kiss him. They make love, which ends with Anora finally breaking down crying.

After weeks of maintaining the facade of a strong independent woman, Anora finally lets herself be vulnerable. She was bound to break, given how her entire life went upside down because of one spoilt brat. She’s human, and her humanity bleeds through the screen as we fade to black. This is a Cinderella story. But it doesn’t have a happy ending.

Is Anora (2024) worth watching?

Yes. It is definitely worth watching. Maybe even rewatching if you like the film. But keep in mind that the film isn’t as profound or moving as many top reviewers have hailed it to be. It’s entertaining, and that’s it.

In Conclusion:

Anora is a very entertaining film. But that’s all it is. The moment you start to dissect it intellectually, it’s little more than a mediocre entry that probably got people’s attention because of the marketing.

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Have you watched Anora (2024)? What did you think about this film? Let me know in the comments below, along with any film recommendations you’d like me to watch/review.

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