23/15

In a scene in Vegas, a character refers to “McCarran Airport”

Chronology

Anora, a young sex worker from Brooklyn, meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. When word reaches Russia, her fairy tale is threatened as his parents travel to New York to have the marriage annulled. Sean Baker wanted to play Jura Borisova after seeing him in “Kupės br. 6 (2021).. Although Las Vegas International Airport was known as McCarran International Airport for many decades, in 2021 its name was changed to Harry Reid International Airport at the end of the year.

Referred to in close-up: Anora (2024)

Igor: PLEASE! STOP! SHOUT!. Daddy AFPWritten and performed by Catherine Slater (aka Slayyter). We all know the old saying that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

and heavyweights (Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan, Yura Borisov) lean on the alleged lovers

It’s an idea that applies not only to what might happen in everyday life, but also to what’s on the big screen, as writer-director Sean Baker’s latest feature illustrates. This widely acclaimed independent offering follows the misadventures of a Brooklyn dancer/sex worker (Mikey Madison) who falls in love with the insanely rich, self-centered and irresponsible son of a Russian oligarch (Mark Eydelshteyn). Together, they dive into an edgy, revealing tale of a dark fairytale romance on steroids, Quaalude and crack. Their whirlwind adventure soon takes them to Las Vegas, culminating in a green card wedding that the younger mobster’s parents (Darya Ekamasova, Aleksei Serebryakov) want to cancel at all costs, even if it means inviting their fat, stupid gang of friends. But achieving this goal ultimately turns out to be more difficult than we imagined.

Sure, there’s some really hysterical, brilliantly inventive stuff here, but it only gets there half the time

As the chase unfolds, a wild series of events angers her mother, father, and friends, and Cinderella of Gotham becomes disillusioned, mistakenly thinking that this time she will really hit the jackpot. From here, it’s easy to think that the premise has a solid foundation for an outrageous, uproarious comedy, but unfortunately, the film only lives up to its potential once. Also, most of the story (especially in the first half of the film) is predictable, almost clichéd, with some parts going on unnecessarily. Indeed, I’m a little confused by all the critical buzz, perhaps best exemplified by the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, the event’s highest honor. I readily admit to being a fan of Baker’s work, having thoroughly enjoyed his previous effort Red Rocket; (2021), The Florida Project; (2017) and "Tangerine" (2015).

But I really don’t understand how much praise this release has received

It’s a capable film in many ways, but the filmmaker could definitely do better, and the previous offerings offer better viewing options in my opinion. Don’t buy into the hype because this is definitely one of those cases where something is too good to be true. From Alien: Romulus to Road House, take a look at some of our favorites from 2024. posters.