I didn't want to like Annette. Talking with a couple of friends who'd seen it, they described the story as a love story between a stand up comic and an opera star whose union produces a child named Annette, portrayed in the movie by a puppet. That description doesn't match the story's context. By the way, did I mention Annette's story is told as a wall to wall musical. Those familiar with the group Sparks might take to the off repeated lyrics, chanted as much as sung. Adam Driver plays the comic, Marion Cotillard the opera star wife. As in A Star is Born, her career rises while his falls. And then Annette is born. The plot takes over and although it sometimes feels like soap opera, it resonates with Grand Opera, which fits. A sub plot involving a prior romance with a conductor played by Simon Helberg brings everything together. I was surprised to find Annette on Amazon Prime. Subscribers may access it as part of their subscription. I wish I had seen it in a theater, as Annette is a little hard to take on a home screen. However, it is wildly creative, even deep sometimes. Leos Carax directs and worked on the screenplay with Ron and Russell Mael. They swing for the fences. Maybe they didn't hit a home run, but I admire the effort.
