Actress leads Oscars race in 'star-making' role

A new movie that won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival has made its debut in London, as its breakout star continues to gain significant Oscars momentum.

Anora was awarded the Palme d'Or at the French film festival in May, launching its lead actress Mikey Madison into the race for best actress at next year's Academy Awards.

The film tells the story of a 23-year-old woman who is working as a stripper in New York when she meets the son of a wealthy Russian oligarch.

In a storyline with slight echoes of 1990's Pretty Woman, the man pays Anora to move into his mansion and become his girlfriend, and the pair enjoy a whirlwind romance.

The film has received highly positive reviews, with critics agreed on Madison's impressive performance in the lead role.

"If there was ever a time to roll out the red carpet and put an actress on the map, this is it," said Screen Rant's Patrice Witherspoon. "Madison is a star."

The actress gives a "terrific performance", agreed the Guardian's Peter Bradshaw, adding that the actress "owns the screen".

Madison may not yet be a household name, but she is also not a newcomer, having perviously appeared in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and the 2022 reboot of horror franchise Scream.

But, as the Evening Standard's Maddy Mussey put it: "Anora is essentially her big break, and boy does she nail it."

Madison and director Sean Baker walked the red carpet ahead of the film's UK premiere at the Royal Festival Hall on Friday.

Anora is directed by Sean Baker, the US film-maker behind Tangerine, The Florida Project and Red Rocket.

The movie also stars Mark Eidelstein as the boy, Ivan, known as Vanya to his friends, and Karren Karagulian as Toros, the Russian minder tasked with keeping an eye on him on behalf of Ivan's parents.

But one of the film's best and most understated performances comes from Yura Borisov as Igor, a tough but kindly henchman who works for Toros.

In addition to Madison's own awards chances, Borisov could have a shot at a best supporting actor when the Oscar nominations are announced in January.

Like several of Baker's previous films, Anora highlights and explores the lives of sex workers.

While developing the movie, the director consulted current and former real-life sex workers, including Andrea Werhun, who wrote a memoir in 2018 about her experiences.

Baker told Indiewire: “I think no matter what subject matter you’re tackling, if you’re not a part of that world or a part of that community, it’s vital to have consultants, who have that life experience, on board and make sure that you’re representing [it] in an accurate way, a responsible way, a respectful way."

At a launch event in London earlier this week, Madison said Werhun's memoir "really spoke to me... I was really intrigued and obsessed with her writing".

She also discussed other ways she prepared for the role, explaining: “I went to New York early, about a month early, so that I could live in Brighton Beach and immerse myself more in that neighbourhood. Also, so that I could fine-tune the accent.”

Ed Potton of the Times described Anora as "a wonderful movie from one of the world’s best independent directors" in a five-star review.

"Every character in Anora might be an utter nightmare, but they’re also a joy to spend time with," said the Telegraph's Robbie Collin, also awarding fives stars and adding: "Nothing and no-one here can draw the spotlight from Madison."

However, some felt the film's run time of two hours 20 minutes could have been cut down.

"Anora takes viewers on a frenetic and wild ride that goes on for a little too long as it zig zags to an inevitable outcome," said Carla Hay of Culture Mix. "This foul-mouthed movie's best asset is the acting."

But Hannah Lodge of Screen Rex concluded: "Anora is as deeply funny as it is stressful, as loud as it is heartfelt, and as chaotic as it is meticulous. This is Baker’s best film to date."