Xixax Film Forum

Sean Baker Pic 'Anora' Acquired By Neon For North America (https://deadline.com/2023/11/anora-sean-baker-neon-1235591039/)

QuoteNeon has acquired North American rights to the romantic dramedy Anora, the latest feature from award-winning indie filmmaker Sean Baker (The Florida Project). It will be released in theaters sometime next year.

Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn, Yuriy Borisov, Karren Karagulian, and Vache Tovmasyan star in the pic, shot on 35mm by DoP Drew Daniels, the synopsis for which remains under wraps. Samantha Quan, Alex Coco, and Baker served as producers. FilmNation Entertainment is handling worldwide rights, having already licensed to Le Pacte in France, Lev in Israel, Kismet in Australia and New Zealand, and Focus Features/Universal Pictures International for the rest of the world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1HxTmV5i7c

Excited for this ~ Baker's thematic focus (emphasis?) on sex work has got to be comparable to Pasolini's at this point.

I saw the term "screwball" looking at the tumblr tag after seeing this and then I realized, "Oh, yeah. That was a reverse-gender My Man Godfrey." (I hope that's not a spoiler.)

Just got back from a rewatch at the cinema.

When Anora is framed by the courthouse pillars - caged in by the reflection - my heart drops. What a great movie, and iconic performances from Mikey Madison and Yuriy Borisov.

cross posting my letterboxd thoughts from my first watch here:
Semiotics of repression illustrated out as a failed Marriage Plot. Actually more harrowing than an initial watch can let on; especially watching with a crowd. Edited as a comedy, but performed with the emotional and physical hurt of complete oppression.

My guess is that Mikey's performance will stand out, and rewatches will prove its mettle as not a Love Story but a Betrayal. Anora is marked by her resilience and will. What it lacks in characterization it shapes in conviction.