Anora

This week the lads review Anora, the 2024 American romantic comedy-drama written, directed, produced and edited by Sean Baker.

The film stars Mikey Madison as Anora “Ani” Mikheeva, a New York lap dancer who impulsively marries the wealthy son of a Russian oligarch, played by Mark Eydelshteyn.

Supporting performances from Yura Borisov, Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan, Darya Ekamasova, and Aleksei Serebryakov round out a film that swept awards in 2024.

Both hosts loved it. Properly loved it. A genuine cracker.

The Aussie finally brings a decent opening story — which immediately triggers the Scotsman to ask the logical question: what’s the succession plan for the podcast if one of them meets their maker?

From there, things drift into strip clubs past and present (the Aussie goes slightly bashful), and a shout-out to American listeners — roughly 25% of the audience tuning in from the States.

When they finally get into the film, it’s detailed and thoughtful — until the Aussie corrects the Scotsman one time too many. Was it “kicked” or “punched” in the face? Does it matter? Apparently it does. The Scotsman flips. Flow ruined. A firm declaration follows: no more interruptions. Ever.

There’s a strong debate about the meaning of the ending — two very different interpretations. At one point the Aussie tells the Scotsman, “That’s your best 90 seconds in 200 episodes.” Want to know why? You’ll have to listen.

Rohan Reminisces takes us back through 2024 — including Anatomy of a Fall, Barbie, and Poor Things — alongside the major global headlines of the year, including the wars in Gaza and Ukraine.

The Scotsman isn’t firing on all cylinders this week and misses a few quiz questions. He also pulls out Russian and Italian accents, then demands to know why that doesn’t make him a racist. The pronunciation of “pho” somehow becomes another battleground.

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