36/16

Sean Baker wanted to cast Yura Borisov after seeing him in Kupe br

Line of Events

Anora, a young Brooklyn prostitute, impulsively meets and marries an oligarch’s son. When word reaches Russia, his fairy tale is threatened when his parents travel to New York to have the marriage annulled. 6 (2021). In a scene in Las Vegas, the character refers to “McCarran Airport.” Although Las Vegas International Airport was known as McCarran International Airport for decades, in late 2021, its name was changed to Harry Reid International Airport. Igor: PLEASE!

Mentioned in Close-Up: Anora (2024)

STOP! SCREAM!. Daddy AF Written and starring Catherine Slater (aka Slayyter). We all know the old saying that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. It’s a concept that applies not only to what might happen in everyday life, but also to what appears on the big screen, as illustrated by the latest feature film from writer-director Sean Baker.

But achieving that goal ultimately proves more difficult than expected

The widely acclaimed indie follows the adventures of a Brooklyn dancer and prostitute (Mikey Madison) who falls in love with the insanely rich, self-centered and wildly irresponsible son of a Russian oligarch (Mark Eydelshteyn). Together they delve into a edgy and wacky fairy tale, a dark, fairytale love story fueled by steroids, Quaaludes and crack. Their turbulent relationship soon takes them to Las Vegas, culminating in a green card marriage that their son’s gangster parents (Daria Ekamasova, Aleksey Serebryakov) want to annul at all costs, even if it means calling in a gang of buddies and fat, fat, clumsy big men (Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan, Yura Borisov) to put pressure on the supposed lovebirds. When a cross-country chase ensues, a crazy series of events leaves Mom, Dad, and friends furious, and Gotham’s Cinderella disappointed, mistakenly thinking that this time she’s really hit the jackpot. Based on that, it’s easy to think that this premise has a solid foundation for an outrageous, raucous comedy, but unfortunately the film only occasionally lives up to its potential.

But I honestly can’t understand the level of praise heaped upon this release

Sure, there’s some seriously hysterical and wonderfully inventive material here, but it only hits the mark half the time. What’s more, much of the story (especially the first half of the film) is predictable, even clichéd, and parts of it drag on unnecessarily. Truth be told, I’m a little confused as to what all the fuss is about among critics, perhaps best demonstrated by its win at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, the festival’s highest honor, the Palme d’Or. I’ll freely admit to being a fan of Baker’s work, having enjoyed his previous efforts immensely: Red Rocket (2021), The Florida Project (2017), and Tangerine (2015). It’s a solid film in many ways, but the director has clearly done better, and in my opinion, the earlier films are better viewing experiences.

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Don’t be fooled by all the hype, because this really is one of those cases where something is too good to be true.