Helberg: Film a ‘visceral experience’
The dreamlike, genredefying movie musical “Annette” struck a chord with actor Simon Helberg in ways no film had before.
Helberg was blown away by how “Annette” explored so many ideas through the vision of French director Leos Carax, the music of pop duo Sparks, and the whirlwind story about a floundering comedian, a celebrated soprano singer and their unusually gifted child.
“It’s one of those rare kinds of experiences where I don’t feel that any interpretation of it is really wrong,” Helberg said. “I actually think that’s a testament to what Leos and Sparks are doing. It touches on so many themes obviously, but ultimately it’s a visceral experience, I feel like, of sight and sound.
“I think that it’s as tragic as it is absurd, and if you see this movie, which I hope people do, I would challenge anyone to really compare it to other experiences they’ve had. It is such a singular kind of movie.”
Adam Driver stars as provocative stand-up comic Henry, whose career is plummeting while his wife Ann, played by Marion Cotillard, is thriving as a vocalist, putting a strain on their marriage.
Helberg’s nameless Conductor begins the film, now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, as the unheralded musical accompanist to Ann, and finds himself in the middle of her marital strife.
“I think of the Conductor as being one of those types of people that we’ve all known, or maybe we even were at some point, that really has these big feelings, kind of carries the weight of the world on his shoulders,” said Helberg, who previously portrayed
Howard Wolowitz on “The Big Bang Theory.”
“He’s aspiring to great things, but really at the end of the day, he’s part of this pursuit to be loved, and he’s looking for that from Ann, and I think ultimately from audiences.”
Helberg, 40, was a longtime admirer of Carax and others connected to the movie, and made it his mission to join “Annette” without even seeing a script or hearing its songs.
“Before I read it, I was like, ‘What do you need me to do?’ ” Helberg said. “Do you need me to become a French citizen? OK, I will do that. Do you need me to make a tape of myself singing this insane song and playing it on piano? Whatever you need.”
The movie, which debuted this summer at the Cannes Film Festival, is Carax’s first feature film in English. It opened in U.S. theaters earlier this month.
“It’s just rare these days that you can see something that’s completely unadulterated, that hasn’t been focus-grouped or hasn’t been in any way watered down,” Helberg said.
The actor says audiences can brace for a “wild ride” with “Annette.”
“This film, to me, can explore fatherhood, and it can explore loss, and it can explore fame,” Helberg said. “It can do all of these things, and it can kind of be very self-aware at the same time. It’s not trying to fool you that you are in some naturalistic universe.”
Aug. 29 birthdays: Actor Betty Lynn is 95. Director William Friedkin is
86. Actor Elliott Gould is 83. Actor Deborah Van Valkenburgh is 69. Actor Rebecca De Mornay is 62. Actor Carla Gugino is 50. Actor John Hensley is 44. Actor Jennifer Landon is 38. Actor Lea Michele is 35. Actor Charlotte Ritchie is 32. Singer Liam Payne is 28.