UPDATE: As per his producer, the original version submitted to Cannes was 143 minutes, Baker has refined it to a final cut that now officially clocks in at 139 minutes
EARLIER: Ahead of its Cannes premiere, a synopsis has been released for Sean Baker’s “Anora”:
Anora, a young sex worker from Brooklyn, gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as the parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled.
Neon is distributing this one, and “Anora” is also set to be Baker’s longest film, clocking in at 2 hours 19 minutes. As far as I can tell, there is no other Neon-distributed film in competition — the studio has backed the last four Palme d’Or winners (“Anatomy of A Fall,” “"Triangle of Sadness,” “Titane” and “Parasite.”)
The cast is composed of ‘Scream’ actress Mikey Madison, in the lead, Mark Eydelshteyn, Yuriy Borisov, Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan and Ivy Wolk complete the ensemble. The film was shot by DP Drew Daniels, in 35mm, and the aim was for the imagery to have a “cleaner ‘70s cinema aesthetic.”
With his last three films (“Tangerine,” “The Florida Project,” Red Rocket”) Baker has cemented his status as one of the best working U.S. directors today. I also recommend his underseen 2012 gem “Starlet,” which is still Baker’s sweetest and most endearing film.