STACK #246 April 2025

MOVIE FEATURE

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ANORA: THE BEST FILM OF THE YEAR! Sean Baker made Oscars history by becoming the first person to win four Oscars in one night for the same movie. GENRE: Comedy romance RUN TIME: 2h 19m

Although Sean Baker is known for being a

A bittersweet dramedy about a Brooklyn stripper who falls for the immature son of a Russian oligarch, Anora takes us on a wild ride. Even crazier is that Baker shot the film guerilla-style for just US$6 million, ultimately netting him 'Best Picture', 'Best Director', 'Best Original Screenplay', and 'Best Editing' Oscars. But that’s not all, Anora also scored a 'Best Actress' Oscar for Mikey Madison, 25, beating out hot favourite Demi Moore. If Baker has dubbed his movie a “love story” - then Anora is a far cry from Disney’s happy-ever-after tales or even Pretty Woman . At its heart is our titular heroine Anora, a young sex worker from Brooklyn, who gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and impulsively marries Ivan. However, once the news reaches

modern-day version of the

glass slipper - ‘pleaser’ being the given name for the high-arched platform shoes often worn by sex workers, making their legs look longer.

renegade of indie cinema, creating complex character studies on micro budgets, he was also the creator of the cult

puppet-themed TV series Greg the Bunny , starring Seth Green and Eugene Levy, as well as its spin-off series Warren the Ape .

Russia, her fairytale is threatened as his angry parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled. Plunging herself into the world of sex workers in preparation to play Anora, Madison tells Mark Eydelshteyn and Mikey Madison

“I’m not a dancer

at all so it was great to challenge

myself that way. The choreographer taught me how to dance like a real erotic dancer.

Baker cites the avant-garde Dogme 95 cinema movement and the films of Lars Von Trier to be among his biggest influences. Dogme 95 represented set rules for filmmakers, including shooting on location, using only natural light, using handheld cameras only, and not recording additional sounds or music. Other notable filmmakers he credits for being major influences on his work include: Spike Lee, Christopher Nolan, Jim Jarmusch, Mike Leigh, John Cassavetes, Hal Ashby, and Steven Spielberg.

• Anora is out Apr 30

That was very helpful in terms of physicality and sensuality, how I'd carry myself and walk in heels. “There were so many lessons that I learned from making this film. I can honestly say that it's one of the most special characters I've ever played”. Gill Pringle

us, “She was a character that I immediately wanted to get to understand, because she's so incredibly different from me. “So, stepping into her shoes - her pleasers to be literal - was really fun,” she says of Anora’s

CHECK OUT SEAN BAKER’S LAST TWO FILMS:

Red Rocket and The Florida Project.

GENRE: Horror action RUN TIME: 1h 32m

RANDY COUTURE AND THE BELL KEEPER Don't be fooled by his tough guy persona - Randy Couture is one of Hollywood’s nice guys.The former UFC champion turned action star now kicks demonic butt in the new horror film The Bell Keeper .

Randy Couture

of all the films I’ve done where they want me to get emotional in front of the camera, which is a weird thing for an athlete who’s been stuffing his emotions to the side for years, this was the first time where I felt like I really got there. “There were some other things going on in my personal life that allowed me to access some of those emotions. But

S peaking to STACK from his ranch in Arizona as he prepares for an insane working schedule, Couture

In The Bell Keeper , Couture plays Hank, a restless spirit summoned to slay demons

DYK?

whenever the cursed bell of Bell Park is rung after midnight. Armed with an axe, he faces off against a group of young documentary filmmakers. Despite his reputation as

Ever the tough guy, in 2019 Randy Couture suffered a heart attack and walked himself to the hospital. Yikes! We don’t recommend doing that (call 000 instead).

couldn’t be more willing to share stories about his time making movies, recalling some of his most memorable moments. “To be in a film with Sylverster Stallone, I mean are you kidding me?” he says, recalling his time on The Expendables franchise. “Talk about a pinch me moment. Like, ‘What the hell am I doing here?’. It was amazing.”

reeling it back in was a challenge, I’ll be honest,” he admits. “I had a stepfather who was in hospice at the time, and I'd been talking to my sister on the drive up to where we were filming, and I think those emotions were right there on

a tough guy in action films like Hijacked, Ambushed, and Blowback , Couture’s character, Hank, brings a surprising emotional vulnerability, allowing him to tap into raw, genuine emotions. “Hank was a fun character to play. I think

the surface, and that scene was that night, so it worked.” Glenn Cochrane

• The Bell Keeper is out Apr 9

LIKE THIS? YOU’LL LOVE THESE:

The Hangman, Hex, Angels Fallen

14 APRIL 2025

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