By Preston Barta – Film Critic
HOLLYWOOD (Denton Record-Chronicle) — After nearly three decades of working together, one of cinema’s more unnoticed but enduring collaborations returns.
“Anora” sees writer-director Sean Baker and Armenian-American actor Karren Karagulian joining forces for the ninth time in film since they first linked up in 1996 for “Four Letter Words,” later released in 2000. This long-standing partnership has seen Baker consistently cast Karagulian for various roles in his films, each more diverse and challenging than the last, from a gas station attendant and taxi driver to a porn impresario to now an enforcer of a wealthy Russian family.
Despite not having a formal film or acting education, Karagulian’s love for cinema led him to the students of New York University film school, including Baker. Their unique connection was sparked by a shared admiration for Sergio Leone’s 1984 crime epic Once Upon a Time in America.
“When we first realized we loved the same film, we were both like, ‘What?’ We couldn’t believe it and started laughing,” Karagulian recalled in a recent interview with the Denton Record-Chronicle. “Then, he asked me to be in his films. He even claims that the scenes he put me in, in both [“Four Letter Words” and Baker’s 2004 sophomore film, “Take Out”], are his favorite scenes.”
After Baker’s first two films, their relationship became more collaborative in the development stages. By their fifth project together, 2015’s “Tangerine,” which was a significant milestone that put Baker more on the cinematic map, Karagulian is credited as a producer.
