Annette

“Annette” by Leos Carax, released in 2021, is a visually stunning musical film that radically defies the genre’s traditional viewing conventions. This eccentric tragicomedy tells the story of the dark “amour fou” between the cynical stand-up comedian Henry McHenry (Adam Driver) and the celebrated opera diva Ann Desfranoux (Marion Cotillard). Their tempestuous love gives rise to their daughter, Annette—an extraordinary figure who is, significantly, portrayed in the film as a wooden marionette. When Henry’s career collapses and dark demons gain the upper hand, the family’s happiness transforms into a drama of jealousy driven by envy, ambition, and fatal greed. Behind the frenzy of emotions and the surreal aesthetics lies a deeply unsparing dissection of toxic masculinity, the pursuit of fame, and the exploitation of innocence. Carax uses the screenplay—co-written with the avant-garde pop band Sparks—to explore the fine line between art and self-destruction. In the process, the eponymous doll Annette becomes the ultimate projection screen for her parents’ egos and transgressions. This powerful, hypnotic work of art was celebrated at Cannes and earned Leos Carax the prestigious Best Director Award for his masterful balancing of deep emotional sincerity and shocking, theatrical artificiality.