All I knew about Anora was the unofficial logline “Pretty Woman only realistic”. I see there they’re coming from but man did this flick go weird places Pretty Woman never went. And I should have seen it sooner… I kept bumping it for other theatrical releases… and because it’s a tough sell at almost 2 1/2 hours. But I didn’t feel the time… even in the last fifteen minutes.

Anora is about an exotic dancer / sex worker who hits it off with a very rich young Russian kid. He eventually buys her for a week and they wind up getting married. HIs Russian oligarch mama and papa are not pleased.

I love this movie’s chaos. Its controlled, ridiculous chaos. The film starts a little chaotic as we get whisked along through a lot of sex, lap dances, parties, booze, video games, and other cool stuff. But when the Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight shows up, things go into maximum overdrive barely contained crazy.

Which was weirdly funny… like the kind of funny you wonder if you’re the weirdo for laughing. Glad I saw it with a crowd so I knew I wasn’t the only sicko. When the Three Stooges of Russian/Armenian goons show up and can barely contain Anora, her brassy belligerence overwhelms them and a comedy of errors ensues.

And, yeah, Anora is so goddamn fierce and aggressive I think she came off the screen and kicked my ass! Certainly she took it to the goons who aren’t technically criminals but maybe criminal adjacent. Either way, they aren’t sure how to handle her and she runs all over them. I love her character so much and Mikey Madison deserves all the praise she’s getting. I’m sure I’ve seen her before, but I’ve never SEEN her before.

I loved not knowing where the movie was going and how Anora and the goons were going to handle things. I loved not knowing exactly what Anora wanted or how serious she was about her husband. I assume not so much but a pile of cash and the audacity of people telling her what to do made up for it. But there’s enough subtle show behind her face to see deeper vulnerability. Certainly the end scene lets some of the air out of those tires… a brilliant scene among many.

Anora is a movie for adults, certainly. It has a little bit of genuine romance, especially when they turn on the right soundtrack. And then it gets hilarious and turns into a comedy of errors. But I was with it the whole time and felt the nearly 2 1/2 hours were well spent with great characters, jokes, and drama. Good flick.

Score: 91