Annette – A Weird Yet Entertaining Rock Opera

Firstly, it has to be said that not everybody will be ready for Annette. To that extent, the film is best going into blind. Opening this year’s Cannes Film Festival to a mixed reaction amongst critics and moviegoers, the film will almost definitely not be for everyone. Nevertheless, it should still be applauded for its vision even though that vision may not work for everyone. From the minds of Leos Carax and Ron and Russel Mael, also known as The Sparks Brothers, this rock opera may be admittedly on the weird end of the spectrum but one cannot call it not entertaining. Having the Sparks Brothers also behind the film’s music and soundtrack certainly doesn’t hurt either. While it swings for the fences, it hits more often than it misses and is probably a touch too long, clocking in at almost the 2,5 hour mark, its biggest takeaway will undoubtedly be the two performances at its heart. Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard each shine with the former delivering a career-best performance.

Annette follows an edgy stand-up comedian named Henry (Driver) and a world-renowned opera singer named Anne (Cotillard) who fell in love and continued to develop a relationship while under the spotlight. Eventually marrying and giving birth to their first child, a mysterious girl named Annette, their lives were quickly turned upside down in different ways as a result of their daughter and her special ability. While parenthood was one thing, the pressure of the spotlight was as strong as both professional dissatisfaction leading to personal friction put strain on their relationship with each other and Annette. The love was still there but it was like they didn’t know how to love each other as the growing divide between them, despite their many attempts to salvage their marriage, seemed insurmountable. Inevitably, something had to give though however that would play out wasn’t as clear considering the personalities at play and the generally odd atmosphere throughout.

As a film, Annette was as unpredictable as it was uncomfortable to watch but in spite of this it was also gripping all the way until the end in a twisted kind of way. While it may be odd and rough around the edges at times, it is still entertaining. Though the arcs of Henry and Anne over the course of the film proved that each were probably better off apart then together. infatuation can be a strong thing. Bringing theatrics along with his edgy material, Henry was as hilarious as a comic as he was purely entertaining until something changed and the tortured soul sought refuge from his sorrows in alcohol. On the other hand, Anne’s career appeared to be going in the polar opposite direction as she consistently lit up the stage on a nightly basis. The story would then take a turn for the worst as a tragedy left Henry and Annette to fend for themselves. In turn, this prompted the story to go in an interesting direction without giving anything away. Bringing in the third member of the story in the form of a conductor with a connection to Anne’s past (Helberg) who brought some added drama and the story full circle.

As mentioned, Annette is also a fun musical with a great selection of songs and numbers sprinkled throughout. maintaining the theme of weirdness. That music and songs went beyond numbers and set pieces as characters occasionally sang dialog to one another, reinforcing the fact that the film was more than a film but rather a performance. Though the rest of the dialog also had its weird moments, including excess exposition and monologues, it fit within the theme of the film of theatrical weirdness. In the end, the best part of the film was its performances which of course begin and end with Driver and Cotillard as Henry and Anne respectively who can definitely both sing. In a career-best performance, Driver commands the screen, showing great range as the tortured soul who also embraces the overly-theatrical nature of Henry which some may call camp. Anne was a character who could have used more development. Despite this, Cotillard still shined, imbuing her with grace while her chemistry with Driver was stellar. However, one can’t help but want more as Anne felt more like a plot device in Henry’s story rather than her own character. Finally, Helberg was a scene-stealer that held his own alongside Driver and Cotillard.

At the end of the day, Annette won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but is certainly a genre experience whose vision should be seen.

still courtesy of Amazon Studios

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.