Sean Baker’s crazy and chaotic deconstruction of the fairy tale Cinderella fantasy. I had to sleep on this before putting together my thoughts because Anora takes its time unravelling its true intentions and ends with a slap to the face. A lot more mature and anxiety inducing than expected, with prior comparisons to Uncut Gems very apt, but it’s still dazzling, funny and beautiful in all the ways you’ve come to expect from Sean Baker and also a few ways you wouldn’t expect too. Mikey Madison is GREAT! Really enjoyed Yura Borisov’s understated performance too. First half is so fun, fast and playful that the pacing of the second half takes some getting used to, but there’s a twenty minute extended scene (!!) in the middle that’s the best thing Baker has directed and maybe one of the best sequences of the year too.