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Monday, February 17, 2025

Not a heart of gold, but in a world of hurt

If you recall the final scene of Pretty Woman (1990, directed by Garry Marshall), Richard Gere and Julia Roberts are locked in an embrace to an operatic crescendo at a fire escape. The camera pans right and focuses on an African-American man vibing in the streets, waxing Homeric about how Hollywood is where dreams come true. 

Pretty Woman is a classic movie about an escort with a heart of gold. The film earned millions as a comedy.

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Well, there is another whirlwind romance between a sex worker and a rich “man” (he is a spoiled brat) in the movie Anora (2024, written and directed by Sean Baker). But I argue that Anora is incredibly funny and tense because it does not rely on a fairy tale trope. Anora is part caper chasing after somebody, part portrayal of youth in wanton abandon. It is part Cinderella doused in alcohol and the bright lights of a strip club.

Anora won the 2024 Palme d’Or at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. The American Film Institute (AFI) declared Anora among the best films of 2024. The accolades are aplenty and deserved. This movie easily twits between nervous laughter and gasps.

Mikey Madison stars as Anora, who meets a Russian billionaire’s son (portrayed convincingly with rakish, boyish impishness by Mark Eydelshteyn), and things get hairier from there. In movies with lead characters as sex workers (women usually), there is often a metamorphosis upon meeting a man who acts as a catalyst for what promises to be an adventure. That sounds archaic, but if you look at cinema history, you see this trope—Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, yearning for a fresh break after her dalliances with George Peppard’s gigolo, Paul Varjak.

As the courtesan Satine in Moulin Rouge, Nicole Kidman becomes enchanted by a young, poor writer portrayed by Ewan McGregor, and there is a certain expectation of a shift. You can see this shift in tiny details alongside the grand acting chops of the cast. I mainly take note of Anora’s hair, laced with glittery pink strands that are luminous and sparkling at the start. The wealthy Russian boy marries the poor American girl, and all hell ensues. 

Anora tosses the Cinderella story into a blender of hedonism and the strict Russian oligarchic family code. As the movie progresses, the glistening strands run amok with the frayed look of Anora in distress and frustration. The dizzying shots amidst young bodies and bacchanal excesses visually capture the recklessness.

The script is snappish and shocking, as the plot leads to one unexpected turn after another. Mikey Madison’s choreography, ensnared by this toxic comedy of errors, manners, and elitism, makes it a joy and a sustained bout of hypnosis watching her.

Mikey Madison will become known for this movie. She has a number of films under her belt, but she is a notorious scene stealer. If you saw Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), Mikey Madison was one of the crazed followers of Charles Manson. 

In Scream (2022), she was a devilish high school slasher film nerd. Both films featured her in moments of unhinged anger. However, Anora gives Mikey Madison a chance to get those crazed eyes going and then some. There are quick takes of Anora looking directly at the camera, where the actress demonstrates her range. One second, her eyes look at us with hurt, like pools of exhaustion. Then, a few minutes later, she looks at us with a glint of mischief but still holds a world of hurt in her eyes.

Anora is showing at Ayala Cinemas.

You may reach Chong Ardivilla at kartunistatonto@gmail.com or chonggo.bsky.social

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