Annette (3 Stars)

Amazon Friday #15

This is a film that's a casualty of the Coronavirus. It should have been released in cinemas this summer, but cinemas were still closed in most countries. Even in the countries where cinemas were re-opening, it wasn't a big priority. There were more important films that had to be shown first, if you understand what I mean. After a limited cinema release in America in August it was added to Amazon Prime. Its future in other countries is still unclear.

Adam Driver plays Henry McHenry, a very offensive stand up comedian. When asked why he became a comedian he says that it's the only way that he can tell the truth without being killed. He marries Ann Defrasnoux, a successful opera singer, played by Marion Cotillard. It's an attraction of opposites. While he lives to offend, she's a highly respectable singer.

After the birth of their first child, Annette, Henry's career spirals downwards. He's not telling jokes any more, he's just offending the audience. He's crossed the line. For instance, while performing in Las Vegas he tells the audience he's killed his wife, and he goes into detail about how he did it. The audience yells at him, "That's not funny".

The family goes sailing on their yacht. The yacht capsizes in a storm. Only Henry and Annette survive. In the afterlife, Ann blames Henry for her death and says she'll haunt him. Annette, now two years old, begins to sing with her mother's voice. Henry doesn't recognise this as a haunting; he thinks Annette is a musical prodigy, and he takes her on tour.

This is a difficult film for me to rate. I delayed writing my review so I could think about it. I eventually decided to rate it as average. The film starts off brilliantly, but as it continues there are more and more things that bother me. I can't name them without giving away spoilers. One thing I can say is that the film's a musical, but Adam Driver doesn't have a good voice. He's not as bad as Pierce Brosnan, but I still think a better singer should have been hired.

Overall, I don't know what the director is trying to say. If there's a deeper message in the film, I don't get it. I'd like to read an interview with him about the film before watching it again.