On-Air Film Review: ‘They Shot the Piano Player’ in the Key of 88

Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 20, 2024 - 9:00am

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film review for “They Shot the Piano Player,” an animated epic written and co-directed by Fernando Trueba that combines the Bossa Nova sound, a music reporter and a mystery about a long lost pianist. Currently in select theaters. See local listings.

Rating: 5.0/5.0

Jeff Goldblum voices the real-life Jeff Harris, a music journalist who goes to Argentina to research a book on the Bossa Nova sound, which was a worldwide sensation in the 1960s and ‘70s, only to be repressed by a dictatorship in Argentina that began in 1974. Swept up in that coup was the pianist Tenorio Jr., a major force both in Bossa Nova and his own unique approach to the instrument. In Harris’ research, Tenorio’s name comes up again and again, to the point where the journalist’s new mission is to solve the mystery of the piano player’s disappearance.

They Shot the Piano Player” is currently in select theaters. See local listings Featuring the voices of Jeff Goldblum, Tony Ramos and the legends of Bossa Nova. Written by Fernando Trueba. Directed by Javier Mariscal and Fernando Trueba. Rated “PG-13”