Annette (2021) - Movie Review

So. Now that I’ve gotten a good eyeful of what Sparks tick, let’s take a look at their other big cinematic contribution from this year. Not only have they written the lyrics and music for this musical (yes, 2021 has been a hell of a year for movie musicals), they also wrote what can be considered the book for this musical, all about the turbulent relationship between a stand-up comedian (Adam Driver) and an opera singer (Marion Cotillard). It provides another splash of variety to what this year has already had to offer, and it’s also the kind of idiosyncratic and enthralling work that, after watching The Sparks Brothers, I have come to expect from the duo.

The Sparks Brothers (2021) - Movie Review

I know next to nothing about the band Sparks. My mother played This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us once, and Weird Al Yankovic did a style parody of them with Virus Alert off of Straight Outta Lynwood (incidentally my favourite Weird Al album); that’s pretty much it. But knowing that director Edgar Wright has already got a winner this year in Last Night In Soho, and his ingrained fandom sensibilities certainly make him a good fit for this kind of documentary, I’m certainly interested in learning more. I mean, I’m basically the kind of filmgoer this was seemingly designed for: A casual observer who might have heard about the band before, but probably doesn’t realise just how much influence Ron and Russell Mael have had on the music landscape worldwide. And while it definitely does its job, that comes with a few caveats.