Sparks conceived 'Annette' as a concept album in 2010 and intended it to be a feature length musical video, but then found that they needed to write a screenplay for it anyway. The film was directed by Leos Carax and stars Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard. Annette herself is the daughter of the two main characters and played by a wooden marionette. A very Sparks story. Stylistically it embraces all aspects of Sparks' career, from glam rock to near-opera. The tracks are mostly short scenes with a number of songs of conventional length. Listening to the soundtrack without seeing the film gives a very strong idea of the story, exactly as the brothers wanted it. It has a similar feel to 'The Greatest Showman', a modern stage musical translated to the screen, with a production that can only be described as cinematic.