Musical ‘Annette’ destined to divide audiences

The titular character of “Annette” is an opera-singing baby as played by several different marionette puppets. As the weirdest and most divisive element of the musical directed by Frenchman Leos Carax (“Holy Motors”), “Baby Annette” serves as the linchpin for how audiences might ultimately respond to the film.

The puppet appears for the first time about halfway through “Annette,” though the movie makes aggressive choices from the start. Songwriters Ron and Russel Mael (of the cult band Sparks; they also co-wrote the screenplay) appear in the fourth-wall breaking opening scene to belt the catchy “So May We Start,” and actors Adam Driver, Marion Cotillard and Simon Helberg join the song midway before the film’s story begins proper. It’s a rousing beginning, but unfortunately somewhat misrepresentative of the music going forward.

At 140 minutes, “Annette” takes the tortoise approach with its not-that-complicated story. Driver plays Henry McHenry (that name!), a comedian who gains admiration for his bullish, confessional stage behavior. The film commits several early minutes to Henry’s stage show, and it's depicted more as a self-aware commentary on hyper-aggressive, toxic masculinity than an actual comedy routine. Henry likes to brag that he “kills” his audience every night with his truth.

Meanwhile, opera singer Ann Defrasnoux (Marion Cotillard) claims that she “saves” her audience with every performance by dying on stage each night. This performance dynamic between the two characters, coupled with the eventual introduction of Annette as a literal puppet of the doomed lovers, should give you an indication of how the film approaches metaphor.

Much of the Sparks music throughout the film is deliberately literal and repetitive, with a key song, “We Love Each Other So Much” consisting almost entirely of just that phrase (though many critics belabor the point in which Driver and Cotillard sing it mid-coitus). Much of the dialogue is sung and performed in-camera, while Cotillard’s opera performances are dubbed by Catherine Trottman. Driver especially prioritizes performance over melody, with his often anguished delivery disrupting the tunefulness of the songs.

While the style leads to a mostly unmemorable soundtrack, Driver delivers an otherwise daring performance, though audiences may struggle connecting with the rageful and destructive Henry. The other two central performers, Cotillard and Helberg (he plays Ann’s accompanist) make the most of underdeveloped roles and limited screen time. The puppet has more scenes than Helberg, for example, though he gets an excellent monologue delivered directly to the camera that he frequently interrupts in order to conduct an orchestra. Yeah, it’s a weird movie.

Carax’s “Holy Motors” was weird too, though that French film from 2012 took more frequent and baffling turns. Whatever you think of “Annette” as a cohesive product, one can appreciate the film’s vibrant visual approach even as the story itself wallows in repetition and shallow thematic ideas.

Those unfamiliar with Sparks might do better by checking out Edgar Wright’s recent documentary on the band (“The Sparks Brothers,” currently on VOD). “Annette” could be seen as being just as disruptive and bold as some of the band’s prior work, but it will come off as purposefully unappealing to some audiences, especially those looking for a more traditional musical.

Tastes will vary. As much as I loved “Holy Motors” and marvel at Carax’s stylistic flashes, I never quite connected with “Annette” and found its thin characters and motifs to be more irritating than enthralling.

“Annette” is playing in select theaters and streaming on Amazon Prime.

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Tyler Wilson has been writing about movies for Inland Northwest publications since 2000, including a regular film column in the Coeur d’Alene Press since 2006. He can be reached at twilson@cdapress.com.