Sean Baker’s ‘Anora’ serves as cautionary fairy tale

A New York stripper and the son of an absurdly rich Russian oligarch are living their best lives as they fall for each other in Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or-winning film “Anora.” The love-bomb romance between Ani (Mikey Madison) and Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn) is visually effervescent, an inspired frame that invites us in as if we are a plus-one to the party. “I wanted the camera in a certain way to echo her feelings, echo her emotion, her emotional arc and psychological state. Therefore, it’s a little looser, more freewheeling and more colorful at the beginning,” says cinematographer Drew Daniels, who previously collaborated with Baker on “Red Rocket.” The cherry to the whirlwind is Ani saying yes to a no-frills Vegas wedding, the two celebrating under the bright lights of Fremont Street, followed by their return home, when she quits her job and they move in together. A playful montage has the lovebirds buying clothes, feeding each other, sharing picturesque sunset kisses and posing in front of a mirror, where Ani flashes her diamond wedding ring with a smile on her face that says, “Look at me now” — an elated moment for the modern-day Cinderella. At least for now.