'Anora' review: Oscar contender with sparkling performances, unpredictable energy

The title character in Sean Baker’s “Anora” does not like her name. It’s Russian, and she prefers the American-sounding Ani. She’s 23, cute, friendly and — like a true Brooklynite — a little brassy. Ani works at Headquarters, a nightclub in Brighton Beach, giving private dances for mostly older men. The hours are long and there’s no health care, but it’s a living.

Into the club one night comes Ivan, a fun-loving, 21-year-old goofball. A dance leads to a date, then to a courtship — all for cash, of course. But Ani likes this kid with the untameable hair and the puppy-dog smile. The son of a Russian oligarch, Ivan is also staggeringly, hilariously rich. So when he suddenly pops the question, Ani accepts (“Three carats,” she demands) and kisses off Headquarters for a life of luxury.

That’s the delightful premise of “Anora,” the latest sex-work comedy from writer-director Baker (“Tangerine,” “Red Rocket”). If you’re thinking “Pretty Woman,” you’re only half-right. Like a lot of Baker’s films, “Anora” is an unusual mix of farcical comedy, gritty realism and perceptive character study. It also features two guileless, near-perfect performances from its little-known stars: Mikey Madison (“Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood”) as Ani and Russian-born Mark Eydelshteyn as Ivan. In various states of undress, these two give “Anora” an unbridled sex appeal and youthful buoyancy that are impossible to resist.

Ani’s parade is quickly doused by Ivan’s parents, who insist on an annulment and send three men to get it done: Toros (Karren Karagulian), a priest who doubles as a fixer for the family; Garnick (Vache Tovmasyan), a fridge-sized bruiser; and Igor (Yura Borisov), a soft-spoken sidekick. They’re more bumblers than brutalizers, though, and Ani gets the best of them in a marvelously funny one-on-three brawl that trashes Ivan’s classy digs. When Ivan disappears, Ani and the three minders go on a nightlong search for him. Ani believes her new husband will ultimately stand by her. We hope she’s right.

“Anora” stretches credibility with its good-hearted thugs, but Baker made the right choice there: As we drive all over New York with these guys, we steadily warm to them. Igor reveals hidden depths of nobility, Garnik keeps nursing his bloody nose and the hard-charging Toros turns out to be just another flummoxed Gen-Xer. (“I don’t have Instagram,” he huffs, “I’m an adult.”) Baker clearly loves these actors — Karagulian has been in all his movies — and he gives each one plenty of room to shine.

“Anora,” which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, is the year’s first real must-see and could be a scrappy Oscar contender. It certainly ought to be. Like its hero, it’s funny, sexy and packs an unpredictable punch.

By Rafer Guzmán

rafer.guzman@newsday.com@raferguzman