Annette (2021)

Many films have been made exploring the turbulent effect of fame on individuals and their relationships with others. Henry McHenry's (Adam Driver) life is an example of both. Henry is a burgeoning standup comedian with a somewhat twisted sense of humour. Ann Defranoux (Marion Cotillard) is a world-famous opera soprano. The pair seem to be madly in love with each other, but the birth of their remarkable daughter Annette changes everything. The film tackles high art and low art themes, the relationship of artist and audience, and the entire artistic experience. While Annette does layer in all these heady themes, the plot on the surface is very digestible and easy to follow.

Annette is an incredibly rich text. This richness comes from years of development and a palpable love for the craft from everyone involved. The Sparks Brothers, Ron and Russel Mael, had written a rock opera for the stage that had many of the critical elements of Annette already in place. They had been developing it for several years and were starting to prepare it for the stage. The brothers met with Leos Carax at the 65th Annual Cannes film festival, where he premiered his film Holy Motors, which featured a Sparks song in one scene. Carax and The Sparks continued to keep in touch, and Ron and Russel decided to get Leos' opinion on the rock opera. In the end, Leos decided he wanted to adapt the rock opera into his next film. The music written for the original rock opera may have been slightly different than what we hear in the final product, but the foundational work that Ron and Russel Mael did is a big reason this film is such a standout success. The depth and narrative power of the Sparks songs matched with Leos Carax's very unique style of filmmaking blend beautifully. There is a plethora of subtext infused by these two creative powerhouses, and this film could most likely be probed and explored for years and years to come.

Leos Carax's last film Holy Motors comments heavily on the world of performance and how we all perform in our lives. Annette follows suit, with the film's opening scene being a literal musical introduction by Carax, the Sparks and the stars of the show, Driver, Cotillard and Helberg, breaking the fourth wall and singing directly to the audience. In the song, they sing about the budgetary restrictions of the project, their self stated "under-preparedness," the content of the film we're about to see, and they state that this world we are about to enter has been wholly fabricated for us, the audience.

Adam Driver's performance as Henry McHenry is outstanding. Driver never shies away from the extremes that Carax and the script demand of him. At times there is some struggle in his vocal performance in some of the musical numbers, but this is a minor blemish. Even then, those vocal imperfections may be interpreted as a service to the film's overall structure, not a hindrance. The physicality and strength of Driver punctuate many of his scenes, most notably the standup sets. Colour motifs are also implemented in the film to add more definition to Henry's character and Ann's.

Henry is most often related to the colour green. Green elicits freshness and the new life, which Henry very much represents at the beginning of the film. On the flip side, green can represent envy or jealousy, greed and a feeling of sickness. The lights that illuminate the audience are often green, and many of the outfits that Henry wears incorporate shades of green. The colour yellow appears in many of Ann's outfits throughout the film. Yellow is a warm colour that captures our attention, but it's also used to describe cowardice. Colour theory suggests that yellow may also represent egoism. This acute subliminal messaging from the production's design is another example of the creative energy oozing from this film.

Unlike other musicals of the decade, Annette's music isn't something people are likely to throw on in the car on their morning commute. Many of the musical numbers lack the sing-songy nature of the proto-typical musical number. Not that these songs can't be enjoyed on their own merit, it's only to say their existence within the narrative is where they belong. The music in this film could be analyzed and dissected just as intently as the film itself.

Annette is a standout of the year and, more importantly, a standout in all the films I've seen in my life. It's hard to recommend with its one-hundred-forty minute runtime and unconventional nature. The performances are incredible. The vision and execution from Sparks and Carax are outstanding. All the elements and creative decisions in the film service each other wonderfully. The themes are deep, but on the surface, it's just an iteration on the musical genre and stories like "A Star is Born." I would recommend the film to anyone who wants to see something unique or want to dip their toe into Carax's style but is slightly put off by the avant-garde.