On October 17, 'Anora,' the triumphant winner of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, reached the big screens. Is the film worthy of the Palme d'Or, for whom does Sean Baker make films, and what is the movie that many compare to 'Pretty Woman' like? Read t...

Sean Baker is known for films about the lives of marginalized and vulnerable segments of society, including sex workers. At the same time, his films always contain humanity; the author does not moralize or try to gloss over scenes to make them perfect. In this sense, his works resemble ordinary people you might meet on the street, not idealized retouched models. 'Anora' is certainly no exception.

From the very first minutes, we are plunged into the backstage of the escort club where Ani (Mikey Madison) works — she doesn't like being called by her full name and makes a point of stating this several times throughout the plot, later explaining that in America, names don't really matter. The viewer never learns any backstory of the main character but understands that she has, in a sense, renounced her roots and past life left outside the US. Incidentally, Anora Mikheeva is of Uzbek origin according to the plot, which is why the film could not obtain a distribution certificate in Uzbekistan.

Ani is young and beautiful, with shiny multicolored streaks in her hair, resembling a Barbie doll. To men, she is indeed nothing more than a lovely living sex doll, even without considering her line of work. And Anora knows Russian, so her meeting with Vanya Zakharov (Mark Eydelshteyn), the son of Russian oligarch Nikolai Zakharov (Aleksei Serebryakov), and their hasty wedding in Vegas truly resemble the Cinderella story or Garry Marshall's 'Pretty Woman,' with the difference that Baker shows reality as it is. This is not a rom-com as it might initially seem, but a genuine dramedy.

For viewers unfamiliar with Baker's previous works, the first third of the film will indeed remind them of all the famous fairy tales about handsome princes. Only here the prince is not so handsome, but rather an unpleasant and repulsive teenager. This is obvious to everyone, even Ani deep down agrees with Toros (Karren Karagulian). The further development of events is filled with both comedy and tragedy, and thus even closer to harsh reality. However, the director never does it differently.

Toros is Zakharov Sr.'s right-hand man, his main task being to keep an eye on the immature Vanya while away from home. Karagulian has been constantly appearing in Baker's films since his very first 'Four Letter Words,' which already hinted at the director's distinctive style and particular love for humanity.

It's hard to deny the incredible charisma of Karren Karagulian and his colleague Vache Tovmasyan (a professional comedian), who work excellently not only as a duo but also hold their own against the thug Igor (Yura Borisov). Borisov is so talented that he inevitably tends to steal the viewer's attention. In 'Anora,' the casting is such that this problem does not arise.

Moreover, Baker remains true to himself, casting not only professional actors but also new faces and random passersby or people who happen to be in the frame (the scene of searching by photo was shot in real establishments where people genuinely responded that they hadn't seen the person in the photo).

This year, 'Anora' won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Before it, this honor was achieved by 'Anatomy of a Fall' in 2023, 'Triangle of Sadness' in 2022, and 'Titane' in 2021, respectively. At first glance, 'Anora' seems not to fit into this group of films with a particular claim to high art. Nevertheless, they all address certain social issues, and in Baker's case, every film speaks directly to the viewer about these issues in a language they understand. It's also worth considering that the jury president was Greta Gerwig, a well-known feminist in the film world. The story of Anora Mikheeva leaves virtually no one indifferent, so in the context of Gerwig, the choice is not surprising at all.

Moreover, each of Sean Baker's films has its own particularly poignant ending, and here 'Anora' again gives the viewer the opportunity to experience the full range of emotions and feelings they are capable of.

Trailer: