ANORA

Mikey Madison plays Anora, an exotic dancer from Brooklyn who meets Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn), the son of a Russian billionaire by chance at her place of employment because she's the only person in the place who can speak his native tongue. The young man throws money around like he's allergic to it and Anora, a working girl, is only too happy to pick up what he's throwing down. When Ivan decides to propose to Anora, she somewhat hesitantly accepts his offer. However, once married, Ivan's parents (who were not informed until after the ceremony) do not recognize the marriage and go to extreme lengths to end it sooner rather than later. I had heard a lot of positive buzz about this and unfortunately, I don't believe it's going to get a very wide release but if you have the opportunity, I highly recommend checking this out. Mikey Madison carries this film by herself. She's a powerhouse, gladly showing her range and (at least in my humble opinion) an Oscar nomination worthy role. Eydelshteyn also does a wonderful job as Ivan, the spoiled brat son of a Russian oligarch who's English isn't the best and wants to experience as much of America as he can. The first third of the film sets up their marriage while the rest of the film shows its destruction. I'll also point out that during the destruction, the film really gets hilarious which I was not expecting but very much appreciated. I can't wait to check this out again, hopefully soon and definitely a top 5 film of 2024! 8.5/10