Anora is directed by Sean Baker and it premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Palme d'Or, the first American film to do so in 13 years. It is the story of a stripper who marries a wealthy Russian chap, resulting in chaos. The first act is just decent. But in the second act, the film goes on another level. One particular scene in the middle of the film is a masterstroke in writing and direction. The finale is a bit underwhelming. Mikey Madison is outstanding in the lead role. It's not easy to pull off such an act. Mark Eydelshteyn has limited screen time but dominates the scenes in which he's present. Yura Borisov (Igor), Karren Karagulian (Toros) and Vache Tovmasyan (Garnick) are terrific in their supporting roles and play a huge role in contributing to the madness. Others do well. All in all, Anora is one of the best films of the year.

My rating - **** out of 5!