Sparks Musical Sends Adam Driver & Marion Cotillard on a Surreal Journey

Amazon has debuted the first trailer for Annette, an original musical based on a story and music from iconic band Sparks, coming to the streaming service. The film stars Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard as a married couple who welcome their first daughter. This trailer showcases many of the bizarre images and performances audiences will see when the film debuts. Annette’s premise is “the story of a provocative stand-up comedian and his wife, a world-famous soprano. Their glamorous life takes an unexpected turn when their daughter Annette is born, a girl with a unique gift.”

French director Leos Carax will be making his English-language debut with Annette. Carax directed his first film Boy Meets Girl in 1984. His 2012 film Holy Motors competed for the Palme d’Or at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. Annette will be premiering at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival alongside its debut in France on July 6.

The trailer begins with voiceover from Adam Driver, explaining his relationship with his wife. His voice is perhaps deeper than it has ever been, which is saying a lot for Driver. We see Cotillard on stage and on the red carpet as well as Driver making an audience laugh. Soon, Driver appears to pull a knife on something and from there we get a series of cinematic images that look both beautiful and insane. Driver does go to jail at one point, so we may be seeing a catastrophic fall from grace for Driver’s character.

Adam Driver is also starring in the next two films from Ridley Scott, The Last Duel and House of Gucci (co-starring with Lady Gaga), which are both set to debut in the second half of 2021. Marion Cotillard and Adam Driver are also joined by Simon Helberg, Devyn McDowell, and Angele. Helberg is best known for his role as Howard Wolowitz in The Big Bang Theory. In Annette, Helberg appears to be the conductor of an orchestra and looks almost unrecognizable. Angele is a Belgian singer/songwriter who is making her live-action film debut here. Previously, she served as the French-dubbed voice for Gabby Gabby in Toy Story 4.

The screenplay is being written by Ron Mael and Russell Mael of the band Sparks, who are also writing the music for the film. Sparks have had a long career that stems all the way back to 1967. Sparks are also involved in The Sparks Brothers, a documentary about their fifty-year musical career directed by Edgar Wright. For those who want a sample of what the music will sound like, the first song from the soundtrack, “So May We Start,” was released on May 28. The two brothers are also in the studio working on their 25th album.

Driver and Cotillard seem to be on their A-game here, which could only be good for audiences. If this trailer appeals to you and you wish to see it in theaters, the good news is you can. Before Annette premieres on Amazon Prime, it will be in theaters starting August 6. It will premiere on Prime Video on August 20. Annette is rated R for sexual content, including some nudity, and for language.

Topics: Amazon Prime, Streaming