Writer and film director Sean Baker’s “Anora” is a modern-day Cinderella story. In this version, the protagonist is a sex worker, and her prince is the son of a Russian oligarch. It’s a sexy, exciting and funny film until the disenchanting third act.

In the movie released in May, Anora (Mikey Madison), or “Ani,” is a 23-year-old stripper who supplements her income by escorting. She lives with her sister in Brighton Beach, a Brooklyn neighborhood with a large Russian-speaking population. Her language skills come in handy when Vanya “Ivan” Zakharov (Mark Eydelshteyn), the son of a notorious Russian billionaire, comes into her club. 

Ani’s beauty and considerable sex appeal prompts Ivan to hire her for an entire week. He enjoys the girlfriend experience so much that he surprises Ani with an impromptu proposal. When his parents learn of their marriage, the couple is besieged by henchmen who try to force them to obtain an annulment. The film turns into a race against the clock as Ani tries to convince outsiders that their marriage is real.  

The central question posed is whether a relationship that began as a paid transaction can be legible as a love match. Baker is no stranger to stories that center on the lives of poor and working-class sex workers. His familiarity with the subject matter informs the depth and nuance on display in the beginning of the film. Sex work is depicted as tiring and undercompensated labor that can be enjoyable and requires a lot of skill — rather than an inherently demeaning job.

We are introduced to Ani through a montage of her giving lap dances under pulsating lights to enraptured clients as loud dance music drowns out conversations. When the dialogue breaks through, it’s clear that Ani is good at her job because she has the gift of gab. She speaks in short, declarative sentences and answers impertinent questions before volleying them back. When asked “Does your family know you’re here?” in the middle of a dance, Ani says, “Of course,” and asks the client the same. He laughingly tells her that he hopes they don’t! 

Ani seemingly enjoys her work, but this could be another skill — the ability to obscure the labor behind effortlessly looking desirable. Ironically, Ani makes a considerable effort when she meets Ivan. She is hesitant to speak Russian because she believes her accent is bad whereas he is hesitant to speak English for the same reason.

Once Ani is officially contracted as Ivan’s girlfriend, her life becomes a series of parties, sex and drugs, punctuated by watching Ivan play video games. Ivan is a feckless party boy, but he has an elevator in his home. Maybe she’s attracted to Ivan’s largesse, but she’s seduced by the prospect of stability. 

Actress Madison is luminous as Ani. From the incredible Brooklyn accent to the bruises that are visible on her legs as she dances to Brooke Candy’s “Drip,” she fully inhabits the role. Coming from a working-class background and trying to fit in with the wealthy requires watching others to pick up on social cues while pretending not to notice the eyes on you. Madison switches from the good cheer required of Ani when she’s at work to a much more subdued and dour posture when she’s off the clock. Even the elegant way she holds her vape pen differs from the frantic drags on a cigarette.

Although Madison’s performance is strong throughout the film, there are plot missteps. As Ani reacts to being characterized as a prostitute by the henchmen, I began to wonder why she didn’t do her due diligence and suss out Ivan’s background. Ani’s intelligence and assertiveness prompt her to stand up to the manager at her club for not providing health insurance, workers’ compensation or a retirement account. She (respectfully) corrects Ivan’s sexual technique before marriage, but makes no inquiry into what rights and responsibilities she will have as his wife.

The arrival of the henchmen raises the stakes in the film and introduces slapstick comedy, but a few scenes are too long. The tour of the ethnic enclave is visually interesting as the gang makes their way through Brighton Beach, but at one point I began to question the Zakharov family’s money — shouldn’t billionaires have more competent staff members on their payroll? 

While the first two-thirds of the film avoid framing sex work as a uniquely degrading job, the final third undoes much of Ani’s agency. After several characters treat her poorly, her disproportionately grateful  response to an act of kindness indicates that much more than the experience of trying to fit into Ivan’s world has broken something inside of her. The final scene appears to be an act of submission and feels unearned considering her skillful negotiation of boundaries throughout the film. If Baker’s intention was to allow the audience to feel like Ani at the start of her liaison with Ivan, then he succeeded. I was having a good time and then suddenly I was not.  

“Anora” is the first film by an American filmmaker since Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life” (2011) to win the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. The honor will make Baker and Madison contenders for nominations during the upcoming awards circuit. The film will also earn a lesser-known, but important distinction of being a movie that I like, with an ending I detest. 

Editor’s Note: This article is a review and includes subjective thoughts, opinions and critiques.