As I delve into the captivating world of Sean Baker, a director who masterfully blends grit with charm, I can’t help but feel a kinship with his unconventional storytelling approach. Like him, I too have always been drawn to the overlooked corners of society, finding beauty in the most unexpected places.
Anyone who’s seen Anora talks about the home-invasion scene.
Approximately an hour into the film, a suspenseful 28-minute sequence unfolds, reminiscent of a Hitchcock masterpiece. Prior to this point, Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or-winning movie has been a more mature take on a romantic comedy, as described by the American indie director: “It’s essentially a romantic comedy, perhaps a slightly dirty one, but a romantic comedy nonetheless.
As a captivated observer, I’m drawn to the story of Anora, or Ani, a vibrant 23-year-old dancer in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, portrayed by Mikey Madison. She crosses paths with Ivan, a 21-year-old charmer, played by Mark Eydelshteyn, often compared to Timothée Chalamet of Russia, who happens to be the son of a Russian oligarch. Their initial encounter begins as a client-service provider relationship, following Ivan’s request for Ani’s exclusive companionship after a lap dance. However, their connection transcends these boundaries, unfolding into a passionate whirlwind romance filled with extravagant parties and intense intimacy.
According to Baker, “I made a point of using typical romantic-comedy plot devices throughout our film,” he admits. “Initially, I aimed to follow the standard format for these kinds of movies for an hour or so. However, the real challenge was to keep the audience guessing and even break away from those familiar tropes.
When Ivan’s family learns about the wedding, they become extremely agitated and seek help from Toros, their contact in Brighton Beach. The hesitant Armenian enforcer, portrayed by Sean Baker regular Karren Karagulian, immediately halts his current activities (he was attending a christening for his godson), gathers a few musclemen, and sets off to Ivan’s home to arrange the annulment of this marriage.
However, Ivan flees the scene, abandoning Ani in their grand McMansion. This is the moment when the movie takes a sharp turn. The typical romantic comedy, filled with crude humor and following the familiar trope of the “prostitute with a golden heart,” transforms into something far grittier and unsettling. One of Baker’s main influences for creating Anora was Federico Fellini’s film Nights of Cabira (1957), starring Giulietta Masina as a resilient prostitute, which showcases the struggles and spirit of such characters.
In a burst of chaos, Toros and his rough companions burst in, attempting to coerce Ani into revealing her supposed fairy tale. However, Ani surprises them all by transforming from a sweet, witty girl to a fearsome, wild creature, retaliating with whatever tools she has at hand. The ensuing scene becomes a whirlwind of physical comedy, with lamps shattering and tables cracking under the frenzy. For 28 minutes, the chaos remains unbridled. What begins as humor quickly turns brutal. There’s strangulation, and Ani is bound. Yet, she refuses to give up, kicking, punching, even biting, while continuously shouting in defiance.
Alex Coco, the producer of Anora, recounted, “When we commenced filming that particular scene, I happened to be upstairs on my computer. All at once, I began to hear these chilling, blood-curdling screams from below. One scream after another. It was truly petrifying.
It was Mikey Madison’s scream that got her the part.
Initially, Baker recognized Anora from her role as the menacing cultist in Quentin Tarantino’s film, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” This character, armed with a knife, terrorized Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio relentlessly until she was ultimately destroyed by a blowtorch. On January 14, 2022, Baker attended the premiere of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett’s “Scream” sequel, where Anora portrayed Amber, a witty and humorous teen who was later unmasked as the murderer Ghostface. It was then that Baker decided to pursue “Anora” as his next venture.
Following the movie, I addressed Samantha Quan, my partner in production and spouse, and stated, ‘As soon as we leave the cinema, we’ll be contacting her agents,'” Baker reminisces. “Being both her roles – providing me with humor, attitude, and the necessary intensity and physicality for Ani – she also screamed convincingly in both parts.
Madison reminisces, “Sean, Sammy, their pair of dogs Bunsen and Bonnie, and I had a coffee get-together. I was already impressed by Sean’s work, and the thought that he wanted to pen a movie for me was simply incredible.
While Baker settled down to carve the script alongside Madison, portraying Anora, the actress immersed herself in rehearsals.
She remembers devoting several months to visiting nightclubs, conversing with consultants, and observing dancers up close. The work was physically strenuous as it required constant standing and dancing, which she also underwent rigorous training for.
Approximately three to four months ago, the individual began taking pole dancing classes, and her father went so far as to install a pole at their home for her practice.
It’s typical for Sean Baker movies to offer an immersive preparation process. Known for blending scripted sequences with spontaneous improvisation, the director of films like ‘Tangerine’, ‘The Florida Project’, and ‘Red Rocket’ often throws his actors into a realistic world, maintaining their characters throughout.
In the first ten minutes of the film “Anora“, Ani was portraying her character while working at a real-life strip club office, and all these scenes were performed spontaneously without any prior planning or script.
As Anora cinematographer Drew Daniels, I found myself yearning to be a silent observer, peeking at Ani as she crafted her magic. I chose to capture the film in an old-school style, using 35mm magazines and a wide-field anamorphic lens. The setup was simple: roll an entire mag from one angle, then shift positions and do it again from another. Allowing Madison to fully immerse herself in her character, to run the show, to reveal the intricate dance of the ladies at work.
Madison shares: “I had a wireless mic and earphones for Sean to guide me, yet the music was loud, folks were chattering, laughing. Consequently, there were moments when I couldn’t hear him clearly, so I just had to be Ani, move from client to client, attempting to engage them, carry on conversations, chat with my colleagues. This is a side of me that I believe no director has ever seen before, and yet they trusted me to collaborate on such an intimate level. To be honest, I’ve longed for this kind of connection with a director throughout my entire career, but I never truly thought it would come true.
At times, Baker too had his doubts about the realization of Anora. For over fifteen years, he’d been attempting to create a film that revolved around the Russian-Armenian community in Brighton Beach. His fascination with this neighborhood blossomed through his friendship with Karagulian, who has featured in all of Baker’s films since his student debut with Four Letter Words in 2000, earning him the joking title of “my Bob De Niro”.
Following the completion of “Prince of Broadway” in 2008, Baker and Karagulian collaborated on writing a screenplay for a crime drama featuring buddies as gangsters from the Brighton Beach mafia.
As a dedicated gamer diving into a role, I found myself in search of producers, aiming to embody an Armenian gangster. However, they had their eyes set on someone reminiscent of Brad Pitt, an American taking on an accent for the part. But since authenticity is my priority, Sean, being the diligent actor he is, flatly rejected them all.
As a passionate gamer, I’ve always chosen the indie path over the mainstream in my movie-making journey. A series of low-budget dramedies – Starlet, Tangerine, The Florida Project, Red Rocket – have been my projects, each offering unique perspectives on sex work. Despite the allure of a film set in the vibrant Russian-Armenian community of Brighton Beach, the idea of a gangster flick no longer held its charm for me. Truth be told, it never truly did.
In time, Baker came across a tale about a woman who was abducted and used as leverage due to debts owed by her husband, who aspired to be a Russian-American gangster. Baker explains, “She comes to understand that she married the wrong man, and there’s a sense of Stockholm syndrome in her growing affinity towards her captors.” However, the mob aspect of the story didn’t catch his attention.
But, he thought, what if the wife was a sex worker and her husband wasn’t a mobster?
Baker remembers being on a Zoom meeting with a consultant of Russian and American descent for another project. During this conversation, he proposed the concept: ‘Suppose she was a sex worker who married the son of a Russian tycoon?’ This idea made her laugh heartily. For him, this laughter served as confirmation. He felt certain that we had our high-concept storyline, our concise elevator pitch.
From the very beginning, it was evident that Karagulian would take on the role of Toros, the long-suffering Armenian servant who has been looking after bratty wealthy kid Ivan for years. Baker happened to be at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021 with “Red Rocket” when he noticed Russian actor Yuri Borisov in Juho Kuosmanen’s “Compartment No. 6”. He swiftly cast him as Igor, a Toros-employed henchman who covertly appreciates Ani’s courageous nature.
According to Baker, there are many similarities between Yuri’s character [in Compartment No. 6] and the one in this movie. Initially, Yuri appears as someone who seems like a tough guy, but then the image breaks down, revealing that he is actually quite gentle, much like a cuddly teddy bear.
It was Borisov who suggested Baker look at Eydelshteyn for Ivan.
Borisov reminisces, “We first crossed paths in Berlin, as we both showcased our films at the same festival. We ended up spending the evening sharing drinks together. I found him to be vibrant and charismatic enough to play the role of Ivan.
In Russia, Eydelshteyn is well-known for his charm – “I play the adorable romantic character with the curly hair,” he jests – yet he hadn’t taken on a role in English before. When the producers of Anora requested him to record an audition, he became quite nervous.
According to Eydelshteyn, they persistently requested the tape, to which I responded that I was too busy. However, I did have the time, it was just the English lines that made me apprehensive. Eventually, I mustered up the courage to complete it in one sitting and sent it across.
At Quan’s initial glance, Eydelshteyn’s unique attire stood out during his audition.
She declares that she initially turned on her laptop, glanced at it for a brief moment (about 10 seconds), then quickly closed it again. She then called out to Sean, ‘Sean, you’ve got to take a look at this!’
In the recording, Eydelshteyn can be seen inside his apartment, facing away from the camera, gazing at the Moscow cityscape.
Quan exclaimed, “He was entirely unclothed!” As for his attire, he sported only a beanie, sunglasses, and was in the midst of vaping, all while delivering his lines.
According to Eydelshteyn, I constantly used an e-cigarette during our performance as a way to step aside when I momentarily forgot my lines. I became quite anxious, switching between English and Russian dialogues. Once, I unintentionally missed a part of the scene and spontaneously improvised a freestyle rap, blending English and Russian lyrics. When Sean observed this, he exclaimed, “That’s just like Ivan! You really captured his essence. Let’s collaborate on developing this character together.
And why did he do the audition nude?
Eydelshteyn comments, “I assumed since Ivan is wealthy, he’d wear expensive clothing. However, I couldn’t afford such attire myself, so I figured, ‘Why not go without clothes instead?’
In the production of the movie, Anora, the team encountered a comparable dilemma: figuring out how to portray the extravagant lifestyle of the extremely affluent within the constraints of an independent film’s budget.
Quan states, “Sean’s initial film explores wealthy individuals in some fashion, and it’s expensive to feature actors who appear affluent.
Coco, the costume designer, mentioned that for movies like “The Florida Project” and “Red Rocket”, they often relied on thrift stores for costumes. But this time, they needed a mansion, a Vegas suite, and a private jet. So, it turned into a question of finding ways to get these items, no matter what it took. It was like asking: Who do we know that’s a billionaire, or someone who owns a private jet and might be willing to help us out?
While it might seem unlikely given his filmography, Baker knows a fair amount of rich people.
He mentions that his connections span far and wide. If he chooses, he can associate with wealth. His past movies were backed by individuals worth approximately $800 million. Additionally, he attended school with people who fall within the top 1% income bracket in New Jersey.
Additionally, even though he hadn’t directed a lavish movie before, Baker was familiar with their lifestyle due to his experience shooting videos at extravagant weddings.
At approximately 30 years old, while making every effort to remain active within the industry, I secured a position capturing and editing elaborate weddings of exceptional quality, often reminiscent of Martha Stewart’s standard. Many of these events were Russian American or Ukrainian American in origin, which significantly contributed to crafting the setting for Anora.
As luck would have it, Anora’s film crew stumbled upon Ivan’s family mansion by searching for “the largest and most luxurious mansion in Brighton Beach” on Google. The top result was a waterfront estate in Mill Basin, previously owned by the Russian oligarch Galina Anisimova. (Her daughter, Anna, had been featured by New York magazine with the headline: “The Russian-American equivalent of Paris Hilton.”)
Quan mentioned, “Sean expressed his desire for something specific, and it fell upon us to deliver it. Remarkably, we succeeded.
In my gaming world, I found myself standing before the grand Mill Basin mansion, where a gripping 28-minute home-invasion sequence unfolded, marking a pivotal shift for the game’s protagonist, Anora. This scene transformed the lighthearted improv comedy tone of the initial hour into a tense, controlled thriller atmosphere.
Initially, when I began collaborating with Sean, I assumed he’d be a director who operates in a fast-paced, spontaneous manner, given my perception of him based on his past works,” Daniels remarks. “However, contrary to that impression, Sean is meticulous and highly focused on details. He’s quite insistent about the specifics within each shot, which is evident in the way he handled the home invasion scene.
In this composition, Baker and Daniels skillfully arranged the sequence using distinct framing and meticulous blocking, as described by Daniels himself, it’s almost reminiscent of a fast-paced Hong Kong action movie. As Toros and his crew burst in, the scene remains steadfast, with a camera on a dolly smoothly following them from a wide angle.
Halfway through, it changes perspective, becoming more intimate as they forcibly remove Ani’s wedding ring while she screams. It becomes chaotic, according to Daniels. Later, when Toros is bargaining with her to assist them in finding Ivan, the camera resumes its stable position.
In order to achieve the gritty, 1970s New York City thriller feel, similar to movies like “The French Connection” and “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three,” Baker made a conscious effort. He opted for film instead of digital, utilized old Lomo lenses, and strove to film each scene as if it were from 1973, according to Coco. To capture an aerial shot of the mansion, rather than using a drone, they chose to use a helicopter, with the camera operator hanging out of the door and capturing two full magazines.
In terms of the mansion’s interior design, Stephen Phelps, the production designer, primarily used existing resources. He recalls, “I stumbled upon some Versace robes in the adjoining bathroom and thought, ‘These would be perfect for the characters!’ We were fortunate since the residents were Russian, which matched our aesthetic. However, the key was removing much of the furniture to create a less cluttered space, giving the mansion a more expansive, chilly palace-like feel.
Lighting that palace, Daniels says, was a nightmare.
He comments, visibly uncomfortable, about the numerous windows in the scene. This home-invasion sequence spans approximately 28 to 30 script pages and takes place in real time. We plan to film continuously for ten days, and during those days, we experienced every type of weather possible. On overcast days, we had to shoot; on rainy days and when the sun was shining brightly — making it seem like just half an hour unfolding over a single day was quite an achievement. Despite giving the impression that nothing is being lit, trust me, there’s plenty going on behind the scenes.
In this particular scene, the dance moves were precisely planned, however, most of the spoken lines were ad-libbed. Ani was speaking rapidly and without pause. When one of Toros’ henchmen made a casual insult towards her by calling her a prostitute, she retaliated with an angry volley of strong language.
Madison explains that he didn’t want Ani to fall silent for even a second. Regardless of the peril she faced, he insisted she wouldn’t retreat. As such, filming that particular scene proved quite tiring,” says Madison.
Instead of featuring numerous energetic, consistently humorous sex scenes that characterized Ivan and Ani’s romantic journey, it played out more like an amusing dance routine: Ivan performing a somersault on the bed while removing his pants spontaneously, a scene improvised by Eydelshteyn and later incorporated into the movie by Baker.
According to Eydelshteyn, the ambiance during the filming of the intimate scenes was quite amusing as they were intended to be light-hearted. These scenes are a part of Ani and Ivan’s festivities, marking the beginning of their storybook romance.
In each instance involving intimate scenes, Baker and Quan would exhibit the specific positions, determine the camera viewpoint, and dissect the framing. Quan explains, “Typically, it was a single shot rather than an extended sequence; we had more sex shots than actual scenes.” They’d perform a few takes and proceed to the next scene. Sean made it clear that he would never depict individuals in a way that seemed exploitative or unattractive, treating them as objects instead.
Madison notes that the sequences were amusing and enjoyable to film,” she says. “Sean strives for authenticity when depicting sex work, and I believe it’s commendable to observe Ani in her professional role.
For Baker, clarifying and reducing the stigma surrounding sex work – whether it’s the transgender streetwalkers in the film ‘Tangerine’, the former porn star of ‘Red Rocket’, or the single mother in ‘The Florida Project’ who resorts to this line of work to survive – has become a personal cause. During the press conference for ‘Anora’ at Cannes, Baker advocated for the legalization of all sex work. “It’s a means of earning a living, it’s a profession, and it’s one that deserves respect,” he expressed.
Apart from being a reflection of cinematic history, his emphasis on the profession within his films is also deeply rooted in social justice issues. As Anora intentionally recalls romantic comedy stereotypes, Quan explains that it’s done to challenge them and share narratives that he believes are underrepresented in Hollywood.
In the end, Ivan returns to Russia, leaving Anora’s dream wedding in shambles. She’s given up her 4-carat engagement ring and is being driven back to her run-down Brooklyn apartment by Igor, who was once a thug but almost an ally. However, it turns out that Igor kept the 4-carat ring. In a scene that stirred much debate in the film, Anora initiates an intimate moment with Igor in the car. But he suddenly halts her midway, holding her as she weeps uncontrollably.
According to Coco, while many are discussing the 28-minute home-invasion scene, the final scene was actually the most challenging to film. Packed with numerous events, it took more than just a half-day to capture everything correctly. In fact, what was initially planned for one day of shooting stretched over three days.
According to Baker, that instant felt as if the entire weight of the world was upon him. He’d conceived a conclusion for his work long ago, involving Stockholm syndrome where Ani drew near to her captor, but he wished to delve deeper into the intricacy of the situation and fully grasp the intimacy. He aimed to make it thought-provoking. Yet, even as he did this, he had to ensure that every detail – the technical aspects and emotional nuances – were spot on.
Four individuals were crammed inside the compact vehicle: Mikey and Yuri in the front, with Daniel filming and capturing them in a close two-shot, while Baker watched from the back seat, glancing at the monitor. Up on the roof, production designer Phelps was scattering a box of fake snow from cardboard, creating the illusion of gradual snowdrifts during the scene.
According to Madison, we attempted to capture it over numerous days, but there were consistent issues – problems with lighting, snowfall, even windshield wipers. It was a buildup of intense emotions when Ani finally let go of all her pent-up feelings, and I found myself in a comparable state, feeling exposed and frightened.
According to Baker, there was a specific take he recalled vividly, where the actress shed a solitary tear, reminiscent of Giulietta Masina’s tear in “Nights of Cabiria.” He wasn’t completely convinced until he watched the daily footage, at which point he thought, “Yes, I believe we’ve captured it.
Originally featured in a single issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine, published in November. Subscribe here to get the magazine delivered to you.
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2024-11-15 20:57