Some movies just aren’t made for everyone. That’s not to say they can’t be enjoyed by a wide audience, but some are meant to challenge you. So, grab your favorite psychoactive drug of choice, buckle up and get ready for the one-of-a-kind experience known as Annette.
This is a film where artistry is very much at the forefront of the experience. If you can appreciate that early on, it makes for a better experience. However, I could also understand someone who said they hated it. I feel like Edgar Wright’s The Sparks Brothers documentary is almost essential viewing as a prerequisite companion film. Maybe not, but it may help explain the creative juices that fuel Ron and Russell Mael (Sparks) who wrote the screenplay and composed the music. In the doc, you learn about how they were inspired by and had always wanted to work on, Avante Garde French cinema and that’s kinda what we got here.
It may not be the type of New Wave French cinema the Mael brothers aspired to, but director Leos Carax certainly knows how to push the boundaries of artistry and normality, and he’s going to test his audience. As I first started Annette, I wasn’t sure that I liked it but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since and that’s usually a sign that the filmmakers did something remarkable. The cinematography by Caroline Champetier is exceptional and captures Florian Sason’s production design beautifully. The set decoration by Marion Michel is awesome also, so the whole visual presence of the film is its own experience and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it pop up in some of those categories during awards season.
I don’t know that I can put a label on what this film is but, in a nutshell, it’s a musical about a celebrity couple whose lives spiral into darkness upon the arrival of their uniquely special daughter. It gets much, much weirder, but creativity is something to behold. Right from the insanely catchy musical number “So May We Start” that breaks the fourth wall, you know you are in for something.
Early on, there’s a feeling that the material and the musical accompaniment may prohibit any real substance from coming through with the performances, but that didn’t end up being the case. There’s a lot going on but it actually gives the actors a unique space to find their voices.
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Marion Cotillard is an Oscar-winner for a reason and her portrayal of a French opera singer shows why. She has to have a sense of humor to embody her character, Ann Defrasnoux, but once she’s in that skin she’s able to bring out all of the complexities of the character. Simon Helberg was similarly quite good playing Ann’s composer and I actually would have liked to see more of his character.
They deserve their praise and acknowledgment, but this is Adam Driver’s film and he’s got to be on the shortlist for best performances this year. We are introduced to his character, the famous and successful comedian Henry McHenry, as he performs “comedy”. It’s hard to believe the character actually became famous considering his “jokes” but that’s the point and it’s an entertaining intro nonetheless. Driver brings his remarkable intensity to this character but also shows off his deadpan humor as we go through McHenry’s brightest peaks and darkest valleys. Being able to flex both of those acting muscles is a key component because, at its core, this is a dark comedy and it’s really funny if you can get past the pageantry.
Both during and after the film, I wasn’t exactly sure what to make of it. There were moments where I was completely freaked, moments of awkward laughter, and moments where I was awestruck at the execution of the ideas I was witnessing. I watched half a dozen films over the weekend and I still can’t stop thinking about this one.
Recommendation: If you enjoy filmmaking for sake of the craft and cinema that makes you work for it, then this film is for you. There’s a lot to take away if you can make it through.
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