Best Supporting Actor 2024: Yura Borisov in Anora

Yura Borisov received his first Oscar nomination for portraying Igor in Anora. 

Anora follows stripper Ani (Mikey Madison) as she gets caught up in a whirlwind marriage with a client  Ivan, who is the wayward son of a Russian oligarch. 

Yura Borisov is a unique supporting actor Oscar nomination as typically the importance of such roles are more immediately obvious within the narrative, where in Anora in general it twists expectations of such a character than is the usual expectation. As quite simply the character is a thug henchmen who we are first introduced as he’s sent by Ivan’s father’s watchdog Toros (Karren Karagulian) along with another henchmen Garnick (Vache Tovmasyan) to try to get control of the situation. And the funny thing is despite having already been introduced to Borisov in a leading role in the wonderful Compartment No. 6, and even recognizing him from there, I didn’t really take any extra notice of him either when he first appeared given the tendency of non-American actors to be cast often as one note villains or just henchmen in American films, so this might’ve been just fitting into that stereotype. Regardless this is a performance that not only benefits from re-watching but is essential in a way to discover just how much Borisov is doing from the outset since there’s little reason to believe he will be important when his initial appearance literally is as Russian thug Igor. But re-watching you do see Borisov laying the groundwork for the character from his first scene where he’s riding in the car with Garnick and hearing about the situation of potentially Ivan having married Ani, creating a headache for most, and Borisov’s naturalistic laugh as the ridiculousness of the situation pretty much instantly establishes what is behind the character. 

When they initially enter the scene Borisov is low key hilarious in playing the awkwardness of the thug trying to figure out what to do in a situation where his bosses don’t know what to do in the situation either. Borisov’s performance works by not really knowing how to present himself as Borisov puts on believable enough sort of “tough guy” distance, while also having little glances in his eyes that denote an awkwardness of not being entirely sure really where to look or how to present himself entirely. You have his brief moments with Ani early on where he introduces himself as Igor. Borisov’s delivery of saying his name is comedic perfection in how rushed and really just strange he makes it sound, though in the rushing there’s a strangely sweetness about it albeit still very awkward. Unfortunately such fumbled pleasantries stop when they find out Ivan and Ani have officially eloped leading Ivan to run off like a complete fool and Ani attempts to do the same leaving Igor to try to keep her put. And again Borisov is hilarious in his very specific timing and really comedic chemistry with Madison in this scene despite the moment being of extreme conflict. As she comes at him by throwing things at him, and Borisov’s dodging then his screaming for her to stop is tilted in just the right way, where he is the thug, but there’s something very human about the way he is doing it that is genuine making it hilarious in the same way. Unfortunately his attempts at verbal subduing fail as he physically attempts to do so leading her to bite him, where Borisov’s faces are just wonderful in being convincing in the reality while in no way hiding some of the ludicrousness of the situation. 

Something that continues as he continues to also interact with Garrick and Toros, where Borisov’s comic timing is terrific in his reactions to each. First where Garrick insists he lets Ani go, despite Igor’s protests that she’ll run, leading her to letting her go and she starts to try to escape leading to Borisov’s hilarious delivery sarcastically noting the obvious leading to go back to holding Ani again. That is until Toros shows up who too questions why they are holding her in place, and you get just a great face from Borisov as he’s holding Ani with this strange sort of conviction that he will keep maintaining his guard as awkwardly as possible knowing what will happen if he lets go. Additionally, having a moment where he reveals the bite mark from Ani as a warning to Toros with a wonderful glance attached as a bit of warning. Once the four sort of combine forces to find Ivan, Borisov has a lot of little moments throughout the sequence. We get the moment where one of Ivan’s friend’s tries to menace the group with a bat, only for Borisov to suddenly bring out genuine menace as it knocks it away as though it is nothing, then takes it to unload on the candy store the friend works for. Borisov is making the most though even of just the casual way he grabs some popcorn in the broken popcorn machine he just broke, or the bit of fun he has with the bat for a moment as they are all walking to the next place Ivan might be. Borisov just adds a little bit more of business, not in a way that feels like seeking needlessly attention but in a way that adds just a bit more comedic energy and character to every moment he’s in. One of my favorite’s as such is his very struggled way of saying “bender” when trying to theorize where Ivan might be. 

What the central value of Borisov’s performance though is to allow Igor to go from henchmen who assaults, or at least batters…let’s leave the debate to Igor and Ani themselves, to seemingly the only person who cares about her in the film. What Borisov needs to do is earn this transition throughout, which he does with even just that sheepish introduction of himself to Ani and only continues as we proceed. A lot of moments of Borisov’s performance are just in the briefest reaction shots, but Borisov handles each one so beautifully. You just see in his eyes honest concern in moments, and more so a real empathy when he sees the blithe way that Ani gets treated by so many throughout. Borisov nicely builds the empathy from moment to moment and you get a greater sense of his real care in each successive scene. This is built upon though through some key conversations, which Ani initially is naturally more than a little hostile towards Igor given his previous treatment of her. Borisov brings a great energy though in his not quite naive but kind “big lug” quality. Such as when they stop to eat, and Igor is trying to understand her insult of him with a big bite of burger in his mouth that is adorable for the lack of a better description. Borisov though is also pitch perfect in his delivery of explaining that he’s not a drug dealer or anything. There’s a simple sweet honesty he brings to every word and trying to present himself as just a guy who really isn’t in any particularly special circumstances himself. 

Borisov through these small moments builds up to the big one where Igor asks in front of everyone that Ivan apologize to Ani for his behavior. Something that is earned in Borisov’s performance and would have seemed forced if not for the building empathy of his performance. Leading to two standout moments in the film where Ani, now with her marriage annulled, gets to stay one more time at Ivan’s large estate overnight with Igor staying on the couch to drive her home the next day. It’s a great scene because you get to see both with the situation now being limited, while Ani is still giving Igor the proverbial shit over his restraint of her before, they have a pitch perfect comedic chemistry. Now in the digs on Ani’s part and the defense on Igor’s, Borisov and Madison bring a warmth even in the defense and attacks, showing two people naturally connecting even in as strange of circumstances as theirs are. Leading to the final scene where Igor leaves off Ani at her house with the end of the situation in sight and her old existence back to where she was which isn't much. Borisov is terrific again not by doing a lot, but keeping it small in just accentuating any chance the care and concern within the warmth, showing him not looking at Ani as an object, or even a task, but as another human. Leading to the final moment where she begins to have sex with him, but instead just ends up breaking down in his arms, the most human in the film, not for the sex but the blunt caring tenderness in Borisov’s face as he cradles her in a genuinely comforting embrace. Borisov delivers a great performance that reveals the man behind the thug, and naturally finding the humor and essential humanity behind the “type”.