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The lives of today’s celebrities are constantly under scrutiny. Their relationships, their families, the ups and downs of their careers—nothing is really private. The distinctive drama Annette explores the lives of a celebrity couple who find their family surrounded by music and tragedy.
Annette tells the story of eccentric comic Henry (Adam Driver) and his opera star wife, Ann (Marion Cotillard), whose whirlwind romance is under the constant scrutiny of every entertainment media outlet. At first, their unlikely relationship seems perfect—but the cracks begin to show when their daughter, Annette, is born. Ann’s career is on the rise, while Henry struggles to juggle his family life and his career. His popularity plummets, causing him to give into his vices and his rage. And when tragedy strikes, the couple’s miraculously gifted child becomes the center of attention.
What seems to start out as a strange love story between two very different celebrities quickly turns into something even stranger. The style is certainly unique: an experimental modern-day operatic drama about fame and fortune. It’s visually striking and often dream-like, but it also offers a look inside the lives of the rich and fabulous and paparazzi-hounded celebrities. To add to the peculiarity of it all, much of the dialogue is sung instead of spoken. And Annette is portrayed through most of the film by a robotic wooden doll—a kind of marionette to be controlled by her parents. It’s definitely an unexpected twist—while, at the same time, a completely obvious and rather tiresome metaphor.
Unfortunately, though, beyond the film’s unusual style, there’s just not much here to care about. Henry is an irritating character from the start, his “comedy” meant to shock and offend more than entertain. He’s egotistical and obnoxious—and everyone around him seems like just a part of his latest power trip. Ann, meanwhile, doesn’t have much of a personality at all. She’s rarely seen off stage. And their relationship isn’t really developed. Considering the film’s lengthy runtime, the film should have plenty of time to tell a complete story—but it feels like it gives little more than a quick overview of a story. Somehow, it manages to feel both extremely long and strangely incomplete.
Annette is definitely unlike any film you’ve seen before—a tale of love and fame and vice set to music. Visually and stylistically, it’s a fascinating film—but it has way more style than substance.
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