My review of the film “Anora”.

Sean Baker, renowned for his ability to distill poetry from the most forgotten corners of society, returns with “Anora”, a work that reaffirms his talent for transforming small stories from the margins into universal epiphanies.

This new film not only reflects his restless and insightful eye, but also takes his signature style to a deeper level, both introspective and sensory.

Mikey Madison's performance in the title role is memorable and will surely go down in film history. It is still too early to determine how much of this success is due to Baker's direction and how much to the young actress' innate talent.

At the heart of “Anora” is the title character, played by the brilliant Madison. She is an exotic dancer and sex worker who, through her work in Brooklyn nightclubs, crosses paths with Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn), the impulsive son of a Russian oligarch.

Vanya is not only attracted to Anora as a typical smitten client; he actually establishes a special connection with her and proposes a deal: spend a week together in exchange for $15,000.

He is a young spendthrift who spends the thousands of dollars Anora works hard to get. She, on the other hand, is more reflective, especially when Vanya loses herself in a sea of drugs and alcohol with her friends.

Together, they experience the energy of youth, sex and madness, which inevitably requires the intervention of their families.

Baker uses nimble editing that alternates between the icy cold of Brighton Beach and the frenetic nightlife of the city, avoiding the conventions of traditional romantic comedies.

The characters are authentic and vibrant, not mere living postcards. There are no clichéd romantic scenes; instead, there are moments of profligacy and excess. The film features nudity and sex, but its naturalistic approach avoids falling into exploitation of Anora, who moves away from the stereotype of the 'prostitute with a heart of gold'.

The real feat of “Anora” lies in its ability to offer an incisive social critique of inequalities and the subjugation of its characters to the power of money, without giving up its commitment to them.