The charmed lives of a celebrity couple are shattered on one tragic night that also sets their only child on an extraordinary path. Visionary filmmaker Leos Carax creates a spellbinding tale of love, passion, obsession, and regret in Annette, a musical fable of operatic proportions, with story and music by Ron and Russell Mael of Sparks.
Henry (Adam Driver), a charismatic and audacious stand-up comedian, is a rock star to his sold-out audiences of worshipful fans. World-famous diva Ann (Oscar winner Marion Cotillard) lends her ethereal soprano to classical music’s most iconic roles. Their love affair unleashes a tsunami of attention from the paparazzi and rabid followers eager to witness the enigmatic pair’s undeniably erotic connection and alienates Ann’s most devoted friend and longtime accompanist, The Conductor (Simon Helberg).
With their union the subject of intense curiosity and constant speculation, Henry and Ann hideaway in a perfect, private bubble for themselves and, soon, their beloved daughter Annette, out of sight of the insatiable public. But as Henry’s career begins to falter and Ann’s continues to soar, their privileged life breaks down into a cycle of rage, madness, and abuse. As they struggle to right their marriage, an unthinkable accident proves that their love is eternal — for better or worse.
A dazzling display of cinematic pyrotechnics, Annette combines sizzling romance, richly imagined visuals, remarkable performances, and mesmerizing original music by Sparks. Carax’s English-language feature debut and his first film since the award-winning Holy Motors, Annette was the opening night film of the 2021 Cannes Film Festival.
