Sean Baker Avoided Politics in His Films — Until ‘Anora’

The latest in pop-culture news, recaps, and reviews, plus close reads, profiles, interviews, and more from Vulture.com. [Brand Logo]( close read [Sean Baker Avoided Politics in His Films — Until Anora]( If his previous work implies a stacked deck, it stays vague about who stacked it. Anora just tells us: It was the ultrarich. Photo: NEON/Everett Collection For a long time, Sean Baker has made movies where slippage with reality is the point. Whenever he starts a project, he talks his way into a social world where he’s almost guaranteed to be the only guy from upper-middle-class New Jersey, convinces its inhabitants to play ball, and gleans details from their lives to inform the film. He’s [used this approach]( to tell stories about delivery guys, counterfeit-bag hustlers, wannabe porn stars, and desperate single mothers. These are not documentaries, though Baker says he wants them to feel like they are; in some films, he’s tried to achieve that by shooting with shaky handheld camcorders or souped-up iPhones. Some scenes he’ll shoot Candid Camera style, sending actors to mingle with passerby who he then chases down with a release form. Many of his actors are first-timers. Baker made his name doing things this way, breaking out in 2015 with his fifth feature, [Tangerine](, about two young trans sex workers pounding the L.A. pavement. Since then, he’s become widely known and [awarded]( for making movies about the American lives taking place — as [critics]( [love]( [to]( put it — “on the margins.” [read more]( Devour pop culture with us. [Subscribe now]( to save over 40% on unlimited access to Vulture and everything New York. The Latest TV Recaps • The Real Housewives of Potomac: [Kernels of Truth]( • The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon: [Raison D’Être]( • The Penguin: [The City Took Them]( • The Franchise: [Maximum Potency]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Stories We Think You’ll Like [Nicole Scherzinger Never Stopped Dreaming The former Pussycat Doll stages a comeback with Sunset Blvd. on Broadway.]( By Jackson McHenry [No One Is Afraid of The Apprentice Trump decided he has nothing to fear from a movie about his infamous relationship with Roy Cohn. And he’s mostly right.]( By Sarah Jones [‘Please Tell Me, What’s Wrong With Me?’ In his new memoir, Sonny Boy, Al Pacino looks back on his “moon shot” of a life in Hollywood — and a few acute regrets.]( By Chris Stanton [Love Is Blind’s Hannah on the ‘Lesson’ She Learned Watching Katie and Nick Talk The almost Mrs. Dorka acknowledges where she went wrong during filming.]( By Jennifer Zhan [Billboard Bursts the Brat Bubble, Again Jelly Roll and Rod Wave both beat Charli XCX on the charts.]( By Jason P. Frank [How Do You Like Them Apples? It’s not that the RHONY reboot is boring, it’s just back-to-basics in a way that’s disconnected from modern-day Housewifery.]( By Brian Moylan [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Vulture Games [Today’s Crossword]( 20-Down, Five Letters: Oscar winner who turned 90 on September 20 Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Getty Images (Tristan Fewings, Justin Tafoya, Photo12/Universal Images Group) [Today’s Cinematrix]( Can you name a sci-fi or fantasy movie starring Michael J. Fox? Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images, WireImage (Mike Marsland, Jim Spellman) A newsletter about the perpetual Hollywood awards race, for subscribers only. [Sign up]( to get it every week. [Get the Newsletter]( [logo]( [facebook logo]( [instagram logo]( [twitter logo]( [unsubscribe]( | [privacy notice]( | [update preferences]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Was this email forwarded to you? [Sign up now]( to get this newsletter in your inbox. [View this email in your browser.]( You received this email because you have a subscription to New York. Reach the right online audience with us For advertising information on email newsletters, please contact AdOps@nymag.com Vox Media, LLC 1701 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036 Copyright © 2024, All rights reserved