Review of Annette (2021) by Jluis_001 — 25 Aug 2021

In film, being ambitious and pretentious is something that happens a lot. And frankly it's not a bad thing.

I love ambitious filmmakers, especially if they're capable of challenging you.

The problem appears when the filmmaker in question, doesn't have what it takes to justify those ambitions and pretensions.

And unfortunately, in my opinion for Leos Carax and his Annette, that's what happens.

I have to make it clear. Annette is not a bad movie.

My review may sound like this, but trust me, it is not.

Annette is exuberant, thought-provoking, bizarre, and suggestive, but at the same time suffers from a notable lack of balance.

I don't deny that there will be many people who will be able to admire what it's trying to do in a different way.

However, trying to be surreal, provocative and intense is a risky move that can end up being a double-edged sword, because even with your fervent visual style, all of this can look pretty good on screen, but ultimately when you don't add depth to anything, the show ends up being hollow.

Yes, it will be a show that looks very nice, that has spectacular visuals, that is competently directed, that its music is good, that its lead actor is really solid, but that also squanders its lead actress, and fails to become the wonderful rock opera, that I can believe its creator envisioned.

And all this overloaded adventure with its more than excessive 140 minutes, can't help but seem lacking in better arguments to defend its position.

Unfortunately for Annette, regardless of its qualities and most notorious elements, it's also a film that tries to be a lot when it's actually saying very little.

It's not a disappointment. Far from it. I really think it's a good film, however it cannot avoid the issue of pointing up to the stars, yet it never takes off the ground.