“This whole story is completely true. Except for the parts that are completely made up”
In the new nine-part Netflix series Inventing Anna, the above statement is mentioned at or near the start of every episode. The clever game is to notice where they impose it, and they are imaginative how they do it. So, right from the beginning, you know that there have been some creative liberties taken with this otherwise “true story.” Inventing Anna tells the true story of Anna Delvey / Anna Sorokin (Julia Garner). She was found guilty of swindling more than $200,000 from hotels, banks and other institutions. Along the way, she scammed further sums of money from associates and friends whom she met under false pretenses.
Posing as a German Heiress, Delvey manipulated high society, financiers and influencers into helping her fund her supposed exclusive club ADF (The Anna Delvey Foundation). During that time, she ran up a humongous debt between hotels while providing no clear way to secure them. Anna felt like she was too smart to get caught and she was almost right.
Jessica Pressler
The series is based on Delvey’s life and the reporting of real-life New York Magazine’s The Cut journalist Jessica Pressler. In 2018, she detailed in her story “How Anna Delvey Tricked New York’s Party People,” how Anna Delvey, an alleged German heiress, was accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars. Her victims included banks, various other financial institutions, and her friends. This was between the years of 2013 and 2017. In show creator’s Shonda Rhimes version, the reporter is named Vivian Kent (Anna Chulumsky) who writes for Manhattan Magazine (No big stretch there).
Vivian is trying to bounce back from an earlier controversial piece where she wrote about a teenage young man who supposedly gleaned a fortune from the Stock Market. Only to find out he lied about the whole thing. What made matters worse was the young man in question said that Vivian had coerced him to lie. Her editor and “supposed” friend Paul didn’t back her up. This story about Anna Delvey would go a long way to rebuilding her reputation. But she had three obstacles. One, she was pregnant, so she was on the baby’s clock. Two, her Editor and former friend Paul, needed to sign off on the story, and three, she needed to get Anna to agree to be interviewed.
To Be Famous
This proved to be difficult, especially when it appeared that Anna was going to accept a plea deal. If she accepted her deal, an interview would not be forthcoming. This was until, during Vivian’s background interview with Anna’s friend Neff, it was revealed what Anna wanted more than anything. She wanted to be famous. When Vivian visited Anna at Riker’s Prison and told her that the interview would go a long way in making her famous, she decided to forgo the plea deal and go to trial. Much to Vivian’s relief. Although one would question the ethics of this. But that will be mentioned later.
However, what it meant for Anna’s attorney, Todd Spodek (Arian Moayed) was he was about to be buried neck deep in discovery information sent by the prosecution. Unpaid Bills, receipts, phone call records, loan applications, and much more were sent by a truck to his law office with only him and an assistant to decipher it. Not that the prosecutor didn’t warn him when she presented the plea deal. Although, it did give Vivian a source for information that it would have been almost impossible for her to compile in a short time. The legal questions that arise from this will also be discussed later on.
The ‘Inventing Anna’ Supporting Players
As Vivian’s investigation continued, each episode showed what Anna had been up to, from the perspective of those who became intwined in her web. This ranged from her circle of friends to financiers, bankers and philanthropists. Each were taken in by Anna in some form or fashion. Some wanted her supposed money, and some wanted to hang with her and the “it” crowd. At no time did any of them know the real Anna Delvey. In fact, it was a question throughout the series. So, let’s meet some of the players in this saga. At least in Anna’s realm of influence.
Val
Val (James Cusati-Moyer) is a fashion designer who was enthralled by Anna’s apparent fashion sense and willingness to spend obscene amounts of cash…provided someone else supplied it. He was in the picture until Anna’s boyfriend Chase double-crossed him.
Chase
Chase Sikorski (Saamer Usmani), Anna’s boyfriend, was a start-up software technician who had grand ideas with his WAKE application platform. Unfortunately, not the wherewithal to finish what he started. He was Anna’s Cash Cow in the beginning of the series. Some surmised he was stringing Anna along until she received her supposed trust fund from her wealthy father. His poor money management became his downfall. Although, the way he deceived people about his background and his applications progress made him a perfect match for Anna.
Nora Radford
Nora Radford (Kate Burton) was a high society philanthropist who gave Val a place to stay and helped to connect Chase with people willing to invest in WAKE. Anna wanted to emulate Nora as a powerful woman whose name commanded respect. Of course, she also wanted in on some of Nora’s contacts and money sources. If that required moving Chase out of the way, it was just business.
Neff
Neff Davis (Alexis Floyd) was an aspiring filmmaker and the concierge at 12 George, a trendy upscale hotel. She made it her business to make sure that Anna had whatever she wanted. The fact that she tipped in $100 dollar bills made that a no-brainer. Before long, Neff had grown to respect Anna as a woman who apparently had it going on. It also was probably the reason Anna stayed at the hotel as long as she did. Neff had her back. A loyalty that she maintained through the entire show. Despite evidence to the contrary of Anna’s discretions including sticking Neff with an expensive Restaurant Bill. However, Neff was one of the few people that Anna actually reimbursed.
Rachel
Rachel Williams (Katie Lowes) was a photo editor for Vanity Fair. She became friends with Anna and went along with her on a trip to Marrakech. It was there, through a series of Anna’s inabilities to pay, that Rachel got stuck with a $62,00o dollar hotel bill on Vanity Fair Corporate Card. She spent over three months trying to recoup the money from Anna before finally filing charges. Along the way she was suspended from her job, sold her story to Vanity Fair and agreed to a book deal. Some had accused Williams of also profiting from her “friendship” with Anna.
Kacy
Kacy Duke (Laverne Cox) was a personal trainer who was introduced to Anna through other clients. They soon became friends, but Kacy eventually grew tired of the toxicity of Anna and her other friends. That was not before Kacy was asked and agreed to send first class airfare for Anna to return home from Marrakech. Anna also wanted to live with Kacy when she was down on her luck, although she never told Kacy of her housing issues.
Prosecutor and ADA Catherine McCaw
ADA Catherine McCaw (Rebecca Henderson) compiled the case against Anna. This was started with Rachel’s complaint and escalated as more and more evidence was collected about Anna’s exploits and her increasing debt. As mentioned above, McCaw tried to give Anna’s attorney an opportunity to accept a plea deal. While it would have been easier, he almost wanted the challenge of defending Anna. Even though she proved to be a demanding and never satisfied client.
Todd Spodek
Todd Spodek (Arian Moayed) was Anna’s defense attorney. He tried to make the case that Anna never got close to receiving the funds she was supposedly after. If there was anyone at fault, it was the financial institutions who did not do due diligence. Spodek developed a friendship with Vivian during the trial and allowed her to “accidentally” view some of the discovery evidence.
Lou, Maud and Barry
Lou (Jeff Perry), Maud (Anna Deavere Smith) and Barry (Terry Kinney), otherwise known as the residents of Scriberia. This is the section of the Manhattan’s writer’s pool where “old writers are sent to die.” Vivian is a recent addition to this office space after her misstep with the “fraudulent” stock market article. However, the trio of talented, experienced writers are more than eager to help Vivian track down Anna’s accomplices and victims. In fact, they see it as a way to stick it “to the man.” Or in other words, their Editors. Along the way, both them and Vivian develop a manner of sympathy for Anna.
A.K.A.
Throughout the series, Vivian learns of the different banks and companies that Anna fleeced. Which also included the use of a private jet. The problem was that many of them refused to comment on the situation. Especially as the trial neared. Mainly because of the embarrassment it would cause that they were apparently so easily mislead. That included the Airplane folks who let Anna abscond with a jet without paying for it. Oops! Must be nice to be able to do such things without consequence. No wonder they didn’t want any part of the story. Too bad however, because THAT was public record. It would stay in her story. However, companies weren’t the only ones with cold feet.
This also became true of some of Anna’s friends. Kacy, for example, decided that she wanted no part in Vivian’s story about Anna because of it being possibly bad for business. Not to mention the aforementioned “toxicity” of that relationship. Eventually, Kacy agreed to keep her part in as long as her name was removed. She would be known as “The Trainer.” This was also true of Anna’s former boyfriend Chase. He too spent a great deal of time talking to Vivian before deciding he didn’t want his name involved. He became known as “The Futurist.”
Vanity Fair’s Scoop
Vivian was almost ready for her story to go to print when Rachel’s Vanity Fair story dropped. It was basically Rachel telling what happened to her and how she got stuck with the $62,000 Marrakech bill. However, it was problematic for The Manhattan’s editors as they felt like they had been scooped on the Anna story. Vivian explained that Vanity’s article was just Rachel’s side of the story. She didn’t have all of Anna’s details and besides, Rachel wasn’t even a professional writer. Vivian’s piece would have all the details. They agreed to move forward with the story.
The Verdict
Not long after the story is published, Anna’s trial is underway, and Vivian has taken a vested interest in it. Including the infamous court wardrobe story where Vivian brings Anna clothes to wear for the trial. She is somewhat disappointed when Anna is found guilty of most of the charges against her. She is sentenced to 4-12 years and then await deportation back to Germany. Vivian feels that the sentence is too severe. She has a heated argument with Todd away from the courthouse about the verdict and they both remind each other how they themselves had benefitted from their relationship with Anna.
Vivian believes if Anna were a man, she wouldn’t have gotten near as long a sentence. She was probably not wrong. Bank analyst Alan Reed (Anthony Edwards) vouched for Anna’s loans without ever verifying her assets. A firing offense for almost anyone. Instead, he got promoted with a bigger salary. The only consequence of his mistake was not getting preferential treatment at the racquetball club. So, while there may be truth to Vivian’s statement, it wasn’t like Anna didn’t know what she was doing. She just felt like she was smarter than anyone else she was dealing with.
Thoughts
This was a fascinating story that I admit to being unaware of. What initially drew me to watch it was the presence of Ozark star Julia Garner in the title role. Miss Garner did not disappoint as she portrayed Anna as a smart, strong-willed woman with no predilection of speaking her mind. Not too far removed from her character Ruth on Ozark. Although, the accent she used was different and kind of hard to put a finger on. Of course, a mixed German/Russian upbringing might explain it and Miss Delvey herself expressed satisfaction. Either way, she tackled the role with her normal high energy. The rest of the cast was also top notch with Anna Chulumsky holding her own with Garner as Vivian, which is quite the challenge. Overall, the acting was first rate but that is pretty much expected in a NetFlix production.
Reasons to Pause
There were some parts of the story that gave me reasons to pause. The idea that the Defense Attorney would willingly turn his back on Vivian’s perusal of Court Discovery evidence seemed problematic. Especially for Todd. As did Vivian’s attempts to get Anna to refuse the plea deal so she could get her story. Personally, I really struggled with Vivian’s rooting for Anna to be found innocent when she obviously did exactly what she was charged with. The fact that other people (men) have done the same and gotten off or received lighter sentences shouldn’t matter. That too is a failing in the legal system.
In this case, she was responsible for her own actions and was obviously smart enough to realize there was the possibility of getting caught. The idea that she didn’t have time to worry about paying someone back over $60,00o because she had bigger fish to fry with her “Foundation” was absurd. It was obviously part of Anna’s charm that she could get people to overlook that.
Rachel, Victim or User?
Speaking of the $60,000. I also thought that Rachel got kind of a bum deal. Regardless of the possibility that you believe she initially befriended Anna to “get something,” Anna DID charge up Rachel’s credit cards without permission. Rachel never “handed” the cards to Anna. She gave them to the hotel because they were about to be arrested for Anna’s non-payment. Should Rachel have used her Vanity Fair corporate card? No, but desperation will make you do things you know are wrong. Especially f you are facing imprisonment.
The difference was, they were HER cards, not Annas. Plus, it was not like Rachel didn’t give Anna ample opportunity to pay her back. So, she did what she felt she needed to do. (Contrary to what Kacy believed). Perhaps had Anna had paid Rachel back, she never would have gotten caught. Although, the way Anna was going, it was only a matter of time.
Addictive
Those are my own particular problems, but they didn’t detract from a well told story that was more fact than fiction. It was addictive enough that my wife and I watched the whole series in one sitting. That really says something as we get restless after a bit. An excellent cast combined with some enlightening background details made for an addictive 8 episodes. As for possible discrepancies between truth and embellishment? They made it clear from the beginning, “This whole story is completely true. Except for the parts that are completely made up.” You can find Inventing Anna on Netflix.
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 50 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove head first over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 18 year old boy with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
