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They Shot the Piano Player

2023

Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal

Animation

6.4

1,044

Animation. Drama. Mystery A New York music journalist begins a thrilling investigation into the mysterious disappearance of Brazilian pianist Tenorio Jr, a regular of Vinicius de Moraes, among others. This animated thriller set to the rhythm of jazz and bossa-nova is a turning point just before the Latin American continent was engulfed by totalitarian regimes.

	Author	Review
United States	Chris Willman Variety	"Jazz and animation make for strong bedfellows in “They Shot the Piano Player,” a film from Spanish directors Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal that represents an intriguing hybrid in all sorts of ways."	POS
United States	Ankit Jhunjhunwala The Film Stage	"A standard-issue talking-heads documentary for most of its duration ––complete with onscreen titles to indicate who is speaking"	NEG
United Kingdom	Jonathan Holland Screendaily	"The film is doomed never fully to become engaging or immersive. This is not to say it doesn't have wonderful moments"	NEU
United States	Sheri Linden The Hollywood Reporter	"Trueba and Mariscal tackle a tricky balancing act in their new feature, celebrating the intoxicating lilt of the bossa nova and also investigating the devastating brutality of state terrorism. It’s a testament to their talent as filmmakers that, for the most part, they manage to pull it off"	POS
United States	Christian Blauvelt IndieWire	"Terribly misguided animated doc (...) The result is an aggravating missed opportunity to tell a story that absolutely needs to be told to an audience that needs to hear it"	NEG
United States	Robert Daniels rogerebert.com	"[An] entrancing and kinetic doc"	POS
United States	William Repass Slant	"A nostalgic look at the disappearance of Bossa Nova (...) Rating: ★★½ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Ty Burr The Washington Post	"The tale of Francisco Tenório Júnior is told with graceful animation and a playful riot of colors (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"	POS

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