At first glance, “Annette” might seem like a typical love story where a self-destructive stand up comic marries a world-renowned Opera singer and they have a puppet baby.
But there’s so much more to it than that. So many weird and wonderful things happen in “Annette” that you truly have to see it for yourself so we won’t give too much away.
The first thing audiences will notice is the music from pop rock duo, Sparks. The film opens with a catchy number reminiscent of an ensemble curtain call on Broadway.
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Then the story veers into this fever dream of a world where Henry (Adam Driver) and Ann (Marion Cotillard) meet, sing a few songs, fall in love, sing a few songs, have a baby, then you guessed it, sing a few more songs.
There are 42 songs in the film written by Sparks with a lot of input from French director Leos Carax (“Holy Motors”). Carax spent 7 years working on “Annette” and it received mixed reviews when it premiered on opening night at The Cannes Film Festival.
Adam Driver ("Star Wars: The Force Awakens") is all in as Henry - the shock jock-like comedian with a dark side (pun intended). Audiences will see more sides to Driver than ever before including a musical sex scene with Cotillard that is nothing short of mesmerizing.
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Simon Helberg ("Big Bang Theory") plays a conductor longing for a relationship that never came to be. He was so dedicated to his role, he became a French citizen and learned to be a conductor.
The story in "Annette" gets a bit muddled but the music and excellent performances make this outlandish experience entertaining to say the least.
“Annette” is streaming now on Amazon Prime Video.
