by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
What is the level of strangeness that you can handle when watching a movie? Better yet, how weird do you want your films to be? It can get boring watching your standard affair when things seem so predictable and telegraphed. But sometimes, a certain filmmaker comes along and shakes things up. Leos Carax is one such filmmaker. Just watch his film, Holy Motors. In Annette, Carax, who is already ambitious and creative, teams up with one of the most creative bands of the past 50 years to create a full-blown musical. Sounds like we may have achieved the preferable amount of weirdness!
The aforementioned band is Sparks, who help make Annette such a unique cinematic experience. Carax takes every opportunity to do everything differently. He starts the film boldly, with a recording session of Sparks, which leads to the Mael Brothers walking out the door into the world to be joined by the cast and a chorus singing about the upcoming film. This scene is an important stage setter as the film is ready to take the audience on a strange journey. There are multiple scenes that act as real stand-up shows (Adam Driver plays a stand-up comedian after all). They capture that awkward discomfort of a comedian potentially crashing and burning (but with some musical numbers thrown in). The paparazzi news segments feel so artificial and silly that you cannot help but be amused by them. And who needs a standard on location shoot when you can create abstract and engaging sound stage sets that give the film a theatrical feel? This personality is welcome and fun coming from Carax. Then there is Annette, our titular young girl… who is a puppet (for the most part). Yes, a puppet. It’s horrifying on some deep-seated level.
There are plenty of bold and outside-the-box elements to Annette, but the music is 100% Sparks. If you have ever listened to their music, you will recognize the tempo and feel of each song. Their music is divergent to the expected tunes of a Hollywood musical, which gives Carax’s film a unique feel. There are plenty of jams, even if some of the songs can get annoyingly repetitive, specifically from a lyrical standpoint. But Sparks gives the perfect match in personality that aligns with Carax’s sensibilities. I had multiple songs stuck in my head long after the credit rolled (which even had a fun number as well).
How did it take me this long to discuss Driver? His performance in this film is off the charts. His commitment to this incredibly unlikeable, yet magnetic presence is impressive. He kills it in the comedian scenes, including his reenactment of tickling his wife to “death.” His singing voice is not on a professional level, but he is so natural in conveying his raw emotions. Marion Cotillard is a strong presence in the film as well with her stronger vocal work and her great chemistry with Driver. Simon Helberg is a pleasant third wheel in this tragic love story as the “other man” in Cotillard’s past. When Annette is no longer a puppet, Devyn McDowell gives an impressive performance as she goes toe-to-toe with Driver.
This film won’t reach all in attendance. It falls back on some tropes and cliches when it comes to its love story, which may be able to connect with some, but it still reaches well into the realm of the abstract. A little long at times as well, Annette is big and bold in the journey that it takes the audience on. I am sure there are some scenes that you have never seen before (but they might go too far for some). Overall, this is a work of art worth experiencing.
Grade: B