2024-10-30 20:51:00
There are stories that are resolved in the plot, in the reasoning or even in the moral, and stories that live solely from their own voice or, if necessary, from that of their characters. What matters is not so much what is told but the story itself. It is not so much a story, necessarily finished and with an ending that justifies it and gives it meaning, as a narrative that starts again when it ends, crossing every night, in a sort of story that tells itself. ‘Anora‘ is the story of a New York prostitute who one day finds her Prince Charming, the heir of a Russian hierarch who is also her client. Or at least that’s how it seems. ‘Anora‘, if you like, it’s a very well-known story: ‘Cinderella’. One drunkenness leads to another, one party after another and so on until a wild wedding in Las Vegas. Then reality arrives and with it the boy’s parents ready to put an end to the story itself. We are first’Cinderella‘, we said, but in reverse. Indeed, ‘Anora«It is simply a story that reveals, in a literal and figurative sense, its condition as a story before the eyes of the spectator. ‘Anora«Nothing matters more than the voice that supports it.
Director Sean Baker complains every chance he gets about our almost obscene puritanism about sex (sex on screen) and our equally obscene permissiveness about violence. He says this to exorcise recriminations for his films like ‘mandarin‘or’Red Rocket‘, both about sex and about the market and its workers. And he says this to give meaning to his own vision of bodies which is at the same time frontal and naked, but strictly ethical (even moral). He also says he is aware of the risk he always runs in representing poverty in films like ‘Starlet‘or “The Florida Project”. Everyone, in one way or another, deals with that part of reality that cinema and society itself hide. For the poor. Poeticizing scarcity starting from privilege is, in fact, immoral. This is perhaps why his latest film, ‘Anora‘, still talks about sex, but, and this is the news, from the point of view of the rich, the scandalously rich.
And the result borders on enthusiasm. As we were saying, what matters now are nothing other than characters who offer themselves in the clarity of their every edge, in the harshness of their caresses, in the amusing cataclysm of bodies through which the abysses appear. It’s a sex comedy, but without the summer to sweeten it. It is tragedy, but always very close to the skin of its protagonists, without solemnity. One might even say that his ways of ‘slapstick‘, of physical comedy, bringing it closer to banality, but to a desperate banality. Baker thus once again demonstrates his ability to make the screen vibrate with the necessarily messy lives of his characters, always pushed to the limit. Mikey Madison, who we saw in ‘Cry‘, performs one of those interpretations without a net that add precipices to the meaning of the word risk. But never from the pomposity of the inaccessible, but from the everyday life of what is closest to hand, of every common and shared gesture.
The strategy ofAnora‘is nothing more than reading the clichés backwards which, in their own way, draw the most conformist part of the gaze. In fact, it is not a fairy tale but its reverse side. And it’s not even a comedy, but rather what comes next. What remains is not only brilliant, funny, heartbroken and always energetic, but also very sad and very beautiful. Everything at once. The opposite of what we knew about Sean Baker until now turns out to be what is most typical of Sean Baker. The opposite of the stories we have always known, with an ending and a moral, it turns out to be a dazzling story that is told at the right time to tell it to us.
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Address: Sean Baker. Interpreters: Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn, Yuriy Borisov, Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan. Duration: 138 minutes. Nationality: United States.
#Anora #Summer #Nights #Sex #Comedy
Interview: The Narrative Craft of Sean Baker’s ‘Anora’
Time.news Editor (TNE): Welcome, everyone. Today, we have a special guest with us, [Expert’s Name], a film critic and cultural analyst known for their in-depth insights into contemporary cinema. Thank you for joining us!
[Expert’s Name]: It’s a pleasure to be here! I’m excited to discuss Sean Baker’s latest film, Anora.
TNE: The film presents a unique twist on the classic Cinderella narrative. Can you elaborate on how Baker reshapes this well-known story?
[Expert’s Name]: Absolutely. Anora subverts the traditional Cinderella trope by presenting a New York prostitute whose life seems to transform when she meets a wealthy heir. However, Baker isn’t just retelling an old fairy tale; he dives deeper into the complexities of class, power, and reality. The story transitions from a fantasy of romance to the stark truth when the wealthy family intervenes, revealing the illusions of fairy tales versus the harshness of real life.
TNE: That juxtaposition of fantasy and reality is fascinating. Baker is known for his unfiltered approach to sensitive topics. How does he tackle the subject of sex in Anora, especially considering societal taboos?
[Expert’s Name]: Baker is quite vocal about societal attitudes toward sex and violence. In Anora, he pushes back against the puritanical view of sexuality while simultaneously criticizing excessive violence in media. He portrays sex not merely for titillation but as a lens through which we can examine the characters’ lives—especially those living on the fringes of society. The sex in Anora serves as a form of communication among characters, reflecting their desires, vulnerabilities, and societal positions.
TNE: It seems like the film does a fantastic job of humanizing its characters amid the chaos of their lives. What did you think of Baker’s portrayal of wealth and poverty in this film?
[Expert’s Name]: Baker’s portrayal is striking. He doesn’t romanticize poverty nor does he blindly vilify wealth. Instead, he presents a raw, honest look at how these dynamics play out in the lives of individuals. In Anora, we see the opulence of the rich contrasted with the struggles of the protagonist, emphasizing the moral complexities inherent in both wealth and poverty. It’s a commentary on the ethics of storytelling—how pain and privilege interact and shape experiences.
TNE: You mentioned that Anora is a mix of comedy and tragedy. Can you unpack that?
[Expert’s Name]: Definitely! Baker often uses humor to navigate serious themes—in Anora, it’s a sex comedy steeped in tragedy. The comedy arises from absurd situations, yet it’s never detached from the characters’ harsh realities. Their “desperate banality,” as you aptly put it, reveals the absurdity of their lives, making audiences both laugh and reflect. It showcases how humor can arise even from the darkest places, and that’s where Baker’s brilliance lies.
TNE: It sounds like Anora prompts the audience to reflect on their own narratives. What do you think Baker hopes to achieve with this film?
[Expert’s Name]: Sean Baker aims to challenge perceptions—of sex, of wealth, and of dignity. By placing the audience in the midst of these messy lives, he urges us to reconsider our judgments and assumptions. He wants viewers to confront the realities that cinema often glosses over and to reflect on their own narratives and biases, which is powerful and necessary in today’s context.
TNE: Thank you, [Expert’s Name]. Your insights really deepen our understanding of Sean Baker’s Anora and the vital conversations it sparks around narrative, class, and morality in filmmaking.
[Expert’s Name]: Thank you for having me! I hope audiences engage with Anora and the discussions it generates about storytelling and societal truths.
TNE: Absolutely! Thank you for joining us, and we look forward to more conversations about the intersections of cinema, culture, and society.
