Annette

Annette (2021)

Directed by: Leos Carax
Starring: Adam Driver, Marion Cotillard
Won the Best Director at Cannes 2021.

5 minutes into the film, and I was already thinking that this would win the Oscar for Best Cinematography. It's because it gets imagery which Cinestill 800T - a unique color film for still photographers - the film is distorted in a way where certain colored lights in the night are more bright, and hazy. The distortion creates a very distinct look - a bit like how Wong Kar Wai captures the nights of a city. We don't see the Cinestill-ish footage that often in this film, but whenever we see that - it was so charming. Well, after finishing the film, I don't think it's an Oscar friendly film - it's a very Cannes kind of film. It expresses more than it bothers to communicate. There is a lot of abstractness to the narrative. The idea of using a broken doll kind of imagery to show Annette - is one of the major statements the film makes. 

Henry's unpredictable behavior and his increasing animosity towards everything, what he does with Ann - a lot of such elements in Annette play in the territories of Rockstar. When you make a character do something unpredictable, which you don't find reason for - that adds a lot of complexity to the character. What makes it seem coherent is the acting, the erratic behavior, and the simple fact that the character is in trouble and is not in a good state. I remember the film 'The Umbrellas of Cherbourg' - where the characters sing even simple stuff, like 'the weather is hot' and even such banal stuff. While it was interesting to see that for about half an hour, I personally wasn't as invested because of the form later. Having said that, the film plays a lot in territories that I enjoy - so I didn't mind the form as much - and it was an interesting experience for me.