The rock musical Annette, created in collaboration with Ron and Russell Mael of the cult favourite band Sparks, continues Leos Carax’s series of tragic love stories. Foul-mouthed stand-up comedian Henry McHenry (Adam Driver) becomes engaged to world-famous soprano Ann Desfranoux (Marion Cotillard), and following their marriage, a daughter is born: the wooden marionette doll Annette. The relationship begins to unravel, Ann achieves further success, and Henry descends into darkness. In an attempt to fix the situation, they go on a cruise that ends in a Natalie Wood-esque disaster. Ann dies and becomes a ghost, Annette inherits her dead mother’s voice and rises to international success, but the shadows of nightmares and violence continue to haunt the family…
Filled with bold stylistic shifts and surprising twists, the unapologetic Annette initially seems like a rehash of A Star is Born, until it shockingly breaks free from its skin and transforms into a brutal adult fairytale reminiscent of the achievements of H.C. Andersen and the Brothers Grimm. The recklessly unconventional film feels more like the work of a hungry, fearless cinephile passionately working on his debut rather than a cautious, seasoned auteur. For his efforts, Carax rightfully won the Best Director award at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, where Annette, like Pola X and Holy Motors, was also nominated for the Palme d’Or.
Lauri Timonen