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 his parents set out to get the marriage annulled.
Mikey Madison
Ani
Mark Eydelshteyn
Ivan
Yura Borisov
Igor
Karren Karagulian
Toros
Vache Tovmasyan
Garnik
Luna Sofía Miranda
Lulu
Lindsey Normington
Diamond
Darya Ekamasova
Galina Zakharov
Aleksey Serebryakov
Nikolai Zakharov
Anton Bitter
Tom
Ivy Wolk
Crystal
Vlad Mamai
Aleks
Maria Tichinskaya
Dasha
Paul Weissman
Nick
Emily Weider
Nikki
Vincent Radwinsky
Jimmy
Brittney Rodriguez
Dawn
Sophia Carnabuci
Jenny
Ella Rubin
Vera
Ross Brodar
Mansion Day Guard
Zoë Vnak
Rachel
Morgan Charlton
Sunny
Nazar Khamis
Vlad
Charles Jang
Vegas Hotel Manager
Lana Svidonovich
Toros' Wife
Masha Zhak
Tatiana's Hostess
Sebastian Conelli
Tow Truck Driver
Irina Finley
Bartender
Mariana Orozco Arango
Pearl
Artyom Trubnikov
Michael Sharnov
Michael Sergio
Judge
Charlton Lamar
Court Guard
Mickey O'Hagan
Divorce Center Clerk
Director, Writer
Sean Baker
October 30, 2024
6
We’re all familiar with the old adage that, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. It’s a notion that applies not only to what can happen in everyday life, but also to what shows up on the big screen, as the latest feature from writer-director Sean Baker illustrates. This widely acclaimed indie offering follows the misadventures of a Brooklyn lap dancer/sex worker (Mikey Madison) who falls for the insanely rich, self-absorbed, wildly irresponsible son of a Russian oligarch (Mark Eydelshteyn). Together they take the plunge into an edgy, wacked-out fairy tale, a dark storybook romance strung out on steroids, quaaludes and crack. Their whirlwind affair soon lands them in Las Vegas, culminating in a green card wedding that junior’s mobster parents (Darya Ekamasova, Aleksey Serebryakov) want annulled at any cost, even if it means calling on their oily, bumbling posse of cronies and heavies (Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan, Yura Borisov) to lean on the alleged lovebirds. But achieving that goal ultimately proves more difficult than imagined. As a cross-country chase ensues, a string of frenzied events leaves mom, dad and friends infuriated and the Gothamite Cinderella disillusioned, having erroneously thought she’d truly hit the jackpot this time. From this, one might easily think this premise has a solid foundation for an outrageous, uproarious comedy, but, sadly, the film lives up to its potential only some of the time. To be sure, there is some genuinely hysterical, wonderfully inventive material here, but it only hits the mark about half the time. What’s more, much of the story (especially in the film’s first half) is predictable, almost clichéd, with some bits dragging on needlessly long. Indeed, I’m somewhat mystified as to what all the critical fuss is about, something perhaps best evidenced by the picture’s capture of the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, the event’s highest honor. I readily admit to being a fan of Baker’s work, having immensely enjoyed his previous efforts “Red Rocket” (2021), “The Florida Project” (2017) and “Tangerine” (2015). But I’m genuinely at a loss to understand the level of praise that’s been lavished on this release. It’s a capable film in a number of respects, but the filmmaker clearly has done better, and those prior offerings make better viewing options in my opinion. Don’t fall for all the hype here, as this really is one of those cases of something being too good to be true.
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$6,000,000.00
Revenue:
$25,467,529.00