Sean Baker, champion if those whose professions have made them persona non grata in American society has made his most crowd-pleasing film to date, winning him the Palme d’Or at Cannes for his troubles. Stripper Ani (Mikey Madison) falls for Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn) the spoiled son of a Russian oligarch who spirits her away for a Vegas wedding and a life of excess. But Ivan’s powerful family won’t take this perceived insult lying down and send some heavies to force the young lovers apart. Everyone knows by now that Madison is a force of nature in this, but Baker’s good luck charm Karren Karagulian and especially Yura Borisov leave their mark too as, respectively, Toros, the increasingly exasperated lead thug and Igor, the softie of the gang. This is hilarious, hard-hitting and dynamically captured largely on the streets in Baker’s signature semi-documentary style, all shot through with tension, heightened emotions and unexpected slapstick comedy. SSP