Anora or Ani, played by Mikey Madison, tells the story of a sex worker who gets her chance to live in a fairy tale and almost a Cinderella story with the son of an oligarch which she has recently meet and married. However, once the news reach Russia her amazing and beautiful life is crushed with the threat of the parents set out to New York to get her marriage and dream annulled. 

Anora shows the emotional and societal challenges of displacement, focusing on a woman striving to belong in a world that refuses to accept her. Her identity as a sex worker intensifies this struggle, by putting her an outsider in every space she's in—from her own home, where she faces hostility from the landlord, to the enormous mansion of her husband, Ivan, or "Vanya," as he prefers to be called. The film perfectly portrays how a society that harshly labels her as nothing more than a "hooker" denies her humanity. In response, Anora learns to use her harshness as a shield for survival. Yet beneath this exterior there's a soft, vulnerable person craving for genuine human connection and love.

Sean Baker - the director - is a master when it comes to talk about the American Dream and how the harsh reality of life itself can crush this dream in an instant of seconds. When Ani meets Ivan her life is colorful and full of wealth, happiness, power, and sex; estabilished by quick cuts that shows multiple different moments of this couple's life, yet, everything is crushed when an almost 20 minute scene of Ivan's security guards invading their home (by the orders of the parents after finding out Ivan married a "prostitute") happens. By this moment the movie gives an extreme shift to the real reality, showing longer and colorless shots, as Ivan ran away in fear of being found out, leaving Ani all by herslef with the security guards to try and find Ivan. Towards the end of the movie the parents arrive and do everything to annul their marriage, and while Ani does everything to talk Ivan out of it, he simply calls Ani an "escort" and just a pleasure he had for a while. All of this moments showcase how the lower class (Ani) is simply a pleasure to the higher class (Ivan). 

One of the most impressive elements of this film is Mikey's process to become Anora, in recent interviews she claimed how she spent months in Brooklyn (where the movie takes place) and with sex workers and in strippers establishments to learn how the strippers would talk and interact with each other, and also with clients. This amazing dedication shows such a love she has for her character and a reason for a rounds of applause for this chacter with such a raw and intense acting. 

By the end of the film, Ani separates from Ivan, he comes back to Russia and his family sends Ani back to New York with Igor (the only persons that shows compassion and care to her). Igor drives Ani back to her real house and gives her  a marriage ring (that belonged to Ivan) so she can sell and make some money. As one of the only acts of kindness towards Ani, the only thing she thinks is to give something back, as she then proceeds to climb on top of Igor and try to have sex with him. But Igor refuses such action and instead hugs Ani as she cries over his shoulders. This interaction says so much about this movie, Ani is always supposed to give something back in her workplace and even in her life and when someone does something out of the kindness of their heart she doesn't know what to do than to just simply accept it. Ani's breakdown is an amazing but sad event, she is put into multiple situations where she is told she doesn't belong, and the life she once though she would leave she is now back to it, back to her work, back to her difficulties, back to reality. Making her such an incredibly well-written character and with an amazing acting by Mikey. 

There could not be a better person to direct this story than Sean Baker. With multiple stories on how the American Dream is a total myth and the only real thing is life itslef with a million challenges. And with an amazing eye to details, beautiful writting, and a meaningful editing Sean Baker is able to showcase his message in a million ways. Another aspect respected for his style is his way of directing, to always apply real persons and real places in his film, as for example, a lot of the side charcaters in the movie and friends of Ani are actual sex worker and dancers. Baker's way of directing is such an inspiration to all filmmakers, with his style of improvising in certain scenes Baker shows a raw and real emotion from the actors, making him one of the greatest and most innovative directors of our time.