Annette (2021)

Director: Leos Carax
Stars: Adam Driver, Marion Cotillard, Simon Helberg
Runtime: 141 minutes

Synopsis: A stand-up comedian and his opera singer wife have a 2-year-old daughter with a surprising gift.

Verdict: To fully comprehend Leos Carax’s intentions with his latest absurdist project is a nearly impossible assignment. On the surface, it’s a one-of-a-kind musical in which the ever-so-talented Adam Driver shows off his vocal abilities alongside the lovely Marion Cotillard. He plays a stand-up comedian, she plays an opera singer, and together they form a romantic unit that fuses comedy with drama, providing the audience with the film’s tone along the way.

Their relationship takes a brusque turn when their daughter, Annette, is born. Introduced as a wooden puppet, she alone symbolizes the narrative’s strangeness, a common trait in Carax’s body of work that will surely leave audiences divided.

Even though I can’t say that I fully understood what the eccentric director’s message about the state of art nowadays was, I will admit that I was bewitched by every creative decision he took. The striking cinematography, exemplary set designs, and memorable, self-aware soundtrack all contributed in creating an experience unlike any other that only overstayed its welcome for a few minutes.

I’m already looking forward to revisiting what may be my favorite film of the year thus far and participating in the conversation it will most certainly generate in later months. But for now, I’m content in taking in the absurdity of a musical that hooked me from the very first line to the last.

FINAL GRADE: 9/10