#292 (no ads): Musical Variations, Pt. 2 — Annette (Patreon)

Like Francis Ford Coppola’s 1982 musical folly One From The Heart, Leos Carax’s new rock opera Annette is not interested in playing it safe, whether that means, like Coppola's film, enlisting idiosyncratic musicians for songs that challenge movie-musical convention, or enlisting a puppet to play the titular role. We’re joined again this week by our friend Joshua Rothkopf to unpack which of Annette’s provocations work and which don’t, before placing it alongside One From The Heart to discuss the two films’ use of high artifice, the troubled relationships and troubling men at their centers, and how their respective engagement with sex and nudity reflects the times in which they were made. Plus Your Next Picture Show, where we share recent filmgoing experiences in hopes of putting something new on your radar.

Please share your comments, thoughts, and questions about One From The Heart, Annette, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email to comments@nextpictureshow.net, or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730.

Your Next Picture Show:Josh: Julia Ducournau’s TITANEGenevieve: Richard Linklater’s SCHOOL OF ROCKKeith: David Bruckner’s THE NIGHT HOUSETasha: Bill Benz’s THE NOWHERE INN

Outro music: “So May We Start” by Sparks et al.