They Shot the Piano Player

They Shot the Piano Player
Promotional release poster
SpanishDispararon al pianista
Directed by
Written byFernando Trueba
Produced by
StarringJeff Goldblum
Edited byArnau Quiles
Animation byCarlos León Sancha
Production
companies
  • Fernando Trueba PC
  • Gao Shan Pictures
  • Les Films D’ici
  • Prima Linea
  • Submarine Animanostra
  • Tondero Producciones
Distributed by
  • BTeam Pictures (Spain)
  • Dulac Distribution (France)
Release dates
  • September 6, 2023 (2023-09-06) (Telluride)
  • October 6, 2023 (2023-10-06) (Spain)
Running time
103 minutes[1]
Countries
  • Spain
  • France
  • Netherlands
  • Portugal
  • Peru[2]
Languages
  • Spanish
  • Portuguese
  • English
Box office$342,350[3]

They Shot the Piano Player (Spanish: Dispararon al pianista) is a 2023 adult animated docudrama film directed by Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal.[4] Centred around the real-life disappearance and presumed murder of Brazilian pianist Francisco Tenório Júnior in 1976, the film stars Jeff Goldblum as an American music journalist investigating Tenório's case.[5]

The film's soundtrack includes music by João Gilberto, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Vinicius de Moraes and Paulo Moura, with some of the musicians also appearing in the voice cast as themselves testifying about Tenório's importance and influence as part of Goldblum's investigation.[6]

Distribution

An excerpt screened as work in progress at the 2023 Annecy International Animation Film Festival,[7] before having its official world premiere at the 50th Telluride Film Festival.[8]

It also screened at various film festivals, including Toronto, Cinéfest Sudbury, Vancouver, San Sebastián, Calgary and BFI London, before its commercial premiere in October.[9]

In May 2023, Sony Pictures Classics acquired distribution rights to the film for the United States, Canada, Latin America, Scandinavia, India, the Middle East, Turkey, Southeast Asia (excluding Taiwan and South Korea) and airlines within the aforementioned territories.[4][5] The film was released in a limited one-week awards-qualifying run in select theaters in New York and Los Angeles from November 24 to 30, 2023, with a wider release in February 2024.[10]

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 74% of 35 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.4/10. The website's consensus reads: "They Shot the Piano Player presents a moving look at a fascinating true story, although its aesthetic inventiveness isn't matched by its narrative approach."[11] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 73 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[12]

Top ten lists

The film appeared on a critics' top ten list of the best Spanish films of 2023:

Accolades

Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2023
 29th Forqué Awards Best Animation Film Nominated [14]
2024
 16th Gaudí Awards Best Animated Film Nominated [15]
38th Goya Awards Best Animated Film Nominated [16]
11th Platino Awards Best Animated Film Pending [17]

References

  1. ^ "Signed Film Rating Certification" (PDF). Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts. 13 February 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  2. ^ "Puan, de María Alché y Benjamín Naishat, y 'Dispararon al pianista', de Fernando Trueba y Javier Mariscal, en el Cine de Casa de América". Programa Ibermedia (in European Spanish). 2024-01-16. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  3. ^ "They Shot the Piano Player". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  4. ^ a b Matt Grobar, "Sony Pictures Classics Acquires Animated Documentary ‘They Shot The Piano Player’ From Fernando Trueba & Javier Mariscal". Deadline Hollywood, 18 May 2023.
  5. ^ a b Michael Rosser, "Sony Pictures Classics swoops on Trueba-Mariscal animation ‘They Shot The Piano Player’". Screen Daily, 31 May 2023.
  6. ^ Laurén Alexa, "Fernando Trueba’s Animated ‘They Shot the Piano Player’ Acquired at Cannes". Animation World Network, 19 May 2023.
  7. ^ Fabien Lemercier, "Wonderful names set to grace Annecy’s Work in Progress programme". Cineuropa, 10 June 2023.
  8. ^ "New Film Uncovers the Story of a Pianist Lost to History". KOTO-FM, 1 September 2023.
  9. ^ "'Dispararon al pianista', cartel de la película y clip en exclusiva para RTVE Play". RTVE, 4 September 2023.
  10. ^ Lattanzio, Ryan (8 November 2023). "'They Shot the Piano Player' Trailer: Jeff Goldblum Investigates a Jazz Genius' Murder in 'Chico and Rita' Directors' Latest". IndieWire. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  11. ^ "They Shot the Piano Player". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  12. ^ "They Shot the Piano Player". Metacritic. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  13. ^ Medina, Marta (21 December 2023). "Las 10 mejores películas españolas de 2023: niños robados, sexualidad femenina y monjas, muchas monjas". El Confidencial.
  14. ^ "Palmarés completo de los Premios Forqué 2023: '20.000 especies de abejas' y 'La Mesías' lideran la apertura de la temporada". Cinemanía. 17 December 2023 – via 20minutos.es.
  15. ^ Martín Amorós, Ismael (12 December 2023). ""Creatura" i "Saben aquell", màximes favorites als Premis Gaudí: totes les nominacions". 3/24 – via Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals.
  16. ^ Hopewell, John (11 February 2024). "Spain's Goya Awards: J.A. Bayona's 'Society of the Snow' Wins Best Picture, Director as Sigourney Weaver Receives an International Goya". Variety.
  17. ^ "'La sociedad de la nieve' lidera las nominaciones de los Premios Platino del Cine Iberoamericano 2024". Cinemanía. 14 March 2024 – via 20minutos.es.

External links