Annette

Annette can be described as Carax’s Southland Tales, as it also raises great expectations that it doesn’t live up to, while presenting a distinctive and tenaciously conceptual vision that is both easy to brush off and fulfilling to interpret, and it also goes stubbornly against the grain, seeming obstinately serious while offering an inwardly atypical and subversive spectacle that, however, exposes and adores all spectacles in equal measure. If we look for parallels to Annette and delve deeper into Carax’s cinephilia, we may also arrive at Jacques Demy and his ultra-kitschy and, at the same time, subtly self-reflective and totally self-assured musicals, which looked misguided next to the New Wave of the time, though they were essentially New Wave due to their obstinate formality and artificiality. Similarly, Carax’s treatment of the screenplay by Sparks tells a story that is banal at its core; in this case, a tabloid romance from the world of show business, full of grand emotions. He presents it to us gnawed down not only to the marrow, but also to its essential theatricality, self-centred pomposity and performativity. If in Holy Motors he showed film as a medium of deception and illusion, even as he simultaneously sang their praises and elevated the nude king himself to an enchanting phoenix, in Annette he constantly presents the artificiality, unreality and lifelessness of his opera from the world of alt-pop music videos. Films that don’t give us what we want are actually in some ways the most honest and unexpectedly fascinating. (2021-07-09)

The unusual musical Annette, adapted from the stage production, is a brilliantly crafted tragic romance, both cinematically and musically, and it also works well as a sharp critique of the artificial world of show business, which leaves no room for true love. It is certainly not a movie that will appeal to the masses, but it will certainly find an audience. Fans of the band Sparks and of Adam Driver, who is here in top acting form, will be over the moon (75%) (2023-03-24)

This is a film that tries to kill a man to save him. Nobody can rip a man's eyes out of his head and turn them inside out like Carax. You stare into the abyss and it stares into you. For me, it is a surprisingly intimate film about pain, self-deception and fatherhood, about the illusions in which we lose ourselves, and also about the fact that film as the ultimate illusion can sometimes tear off all masks. Rationality is overrated, imagination will save the world. Or at least give it a decent funeral. (2021-08-03)

I would unhesitatingly call Annette a film for a tough viewer, because if this piece doesn't hit your taste at all, you might have paid for the cinema ticket unnecessarily. I felt a bit like on a rollercoaster, at times it grated on my nerves, then I saw a nice message there or some scene tickled my fancy. Carax shocked with his surrealist and unusual style, love for the color green, and bizarre scenes in his previous films. However, Annette falls into a completely unique and unclassifiable category, which I can't understand how I, with my aversion to musicals, managed to endure until the end. The songs sometimes seem extremely annoying, but at the same time they somehow fit into the rest of the story, and I dare say that precisely because Carax subtly touches on current burning social issues and the screenplay depth is significantly deeper this time compared to, say, Holy Motors, I was able to appreciate the film a bit more. Nevertheless, I am 90% sure that if I were to watch this film at home on a screen, I would probably turn it off halfway through. Acting-wise, Driver carries most of it on his shoulders, whom I still consider to be an interesting actor, but I'm not sure if I completely love him. (2021-10-24)

This was my first encounter with this director, and I have to say, Annette is a wild ride. It's not filled with grotesque or over-the-top nastiness like some other weird films, but it’s still totally insane. Adam Driver and Simon Helberg give performances that are completely indulgent, while Marion Cotillard just coasts along, remaining as captivating as ever. The plot is simple and straightforward, but the theatrical delivery of the lines doesn’t make it easy for the audience. The visuals are striking, and the musical interludes, though repetitive, add an interesting layer. The recurring lyrical themes act like refrains, which was the least of my issues compared to the overall very peculiar execution. (2023-08-29)