Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
In present-day Los Angeles, controversial stand-up comedian Henry McHenry and internationally renowned opera singer Ann Defrasnoux form the façade of a happy couple in the spotlight. Ann gives birth to a baby girl named Annette, who possesses an exceptional gift that will change all of their lives forever.
Annette is a genuinely singular cinematic experience — Leos Carax directing a rock opera written by Sparks, featuring a puppet baby and surrealist musical set pieces that exist nowhere else in contemporary cinema. Its Novelty and Cinematography are exceptional: Caroline Champetier's lensing is bold and theatrical, and the film's conception is utterly one-of-a-kind. Adam Driver commits fully to a physically demanding, idiosyncratic performance, though Marion Cotillard's role is underwritten. The plot, while allegorically rich (fame, exploitation, toxic celebrity), can feel thin and repetitive in its middle stretch. The ending achieves emotional resonance but some viewers find its didacticism heavy-handed. Overall a divisive but unmistakably distinctive work that earns its outlier status in modern musical filmmaking.