Annette

Log Line

Los Angeles, today. Henry (Adam Driver) is a stand-up comedian with a fierce sense of humor who falls in love with Ann (Marion Cotillard), a world-renowned opera singer. Under the spotlight, they form a passionate and glamorous couple. With the birth of their first child, Annette, a mysterious little girl with an exceptional destiny, their lives are turned upside down. A film by visionary director Leos Carax (Holy Motors), with story and music by Ron and Russell Mael, the duo known as Sparks, this original musical is a journey of love, passion and fame.

Show Description

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 hide away 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.

Annette is directed by Leos Carax (The Lovers on the Bridge, Holy Motors) from a screenplay by Ron Mael (Holy Motors, Kick-Ass) and Russell Mael (Fright Night, Alan Partridge). The film stars Adam Driver (Marriage Story, “Girls”), Marion Cotillard (La Vie En Rose, Rust and Bone) and Simon Helberg (“The Big Bang Theory,” Florence Foster Jenkins). Producers are Charles Gillibert (Mustang, Clouds of Sils Maria) and Paul-Dominique Win Vacharasinthu (The Jesus Rolls, Magari). Director of photography is Caroline Champetier (Of Gods and Men, Holy Motors). Production designer is Florian Sanson (Holy Motors, Proxima). Costume designers are Pascaline Chavanne (An Officer and a Spy, Proxima) and Ursula Paredes Choto (The Bourne Identity, An Officer and a Spy). Editor is Nelly Quettier (Happy as Lazzaro, Holy Motors). Puppet aesthetic designers are Estelle Charlier and Romuald Collinet.

Credits

Starring Adam Driver, Marion Cotillard, Simon Helberg 

Directed by Leos Carax

Original story and music by SPARKS

Lyrics by Ron Mael, Russell Mael, & LC

Devyn McDowell with the participation of Angèle

Original story by Ron Mael and Russell Mael - Cinematography Caroline Champetier, afc - Editing Nelly Quettier - Annette’s Puppet created by Estelle Charlier and Romuald Collinet - Music Supervision Pierre-Marie Dru - Additional Arrangements and Orchestrations Clément Ducol - Executive Music Producers Pierre-Marie Dru & Marius De Vries – Music Directors Clément Ducol & Fiora Cutler - Sound Erwan Kerzanet, Katia Boutin, Maxence Dussere, Paul Heymans, Thomas Gauder - Production design Florian Sanson - Costumes Pascaline Chavanne - Make-up and hair Bernard Floch - Line producer Tatiana Bouchain - Post-production supervisor Eugénie Deplus - Director’s assistants Michael Pierrard, Amandine Escoffier, Julie Gouet, Juliette Picollot - a film produced by Charles Gillibert, p.g.a, Paul-Dominique Vacharasinthu, Adam Driver - coproduced by Fabian Gasmia,  Geneviève Lemal, Benoît Roland, Arlette Zylberberg, Kenzo Horikoshi, Julio Chavezmontes, Consuelo Frauenfelder, Grégoire Melin – a CG Cinéma International - Tribus P Films International - ARTE France Cinéma - THEO FILMS - UGC - DETAiLFILM - Scope Pictures - Wrong Men - RTBF (Télévision belge) - EUROSPACE - PIANO - Garidi Films coproduction - with the participation of Arte France - ZDF / ARTE - Canal + - Ciné + - Proximus - VOO & Be TV - with the support of Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée - EURIMAGES - SACEM - Film- und Medienstiftung NRW - FFA Filmförderungsanstalt - Tax Shelter du Gouvernement fédéral belge via Scope Invest - Screen Flanders an initiative of Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) - Wallimage (La Wallonie) - Centre du Cinéma et de l’Audiovisuel de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles - LVT, Asur, Interceramic & Monex via EFICINE - Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan - in association with Kinology - Indéfilms 8 - Cofinova 16 - Palatine Etoile 17 - Cinémage 14 - Cineaxe - Sofitvcine 7 - SG Image 2018 - Talipot Studio – International sales: Kinology - US  Distribution: Amazon Studios – French Distribution: UGC