The general public does not know his name.
However, the Brazilian Francisco Tenorio Jr., known as “Tenorio”, enjoys an immense aura in the circles of jazz and bossa nova.
A reputation fueled by the mystery of his disappearance: a prodigy and virtuoso pianist, “the greatest of bossa nova” say the experts, he suddenly “evaporated” in Buenos Aires, at the age of 34, one evening in 1976. Author of a single solo album, talented jazzman, present from the origins of bossa-nova in the early 1960s, he played with the best and left traces among all amateurs and professionals of this musical genre.
But then, what happened?
This is the whole purpose of the investigation carried out in the phenomenal “They Shot The Piano player”, unveiled in September at the Festival2valenciennes and in theaters this Wednesday, and which takes a very original form: an animated docu-fiction.
In charge, two big names, veteran friends of Spanish cinema: Fernando Trueba, 69 years old, and Javier Mariscal, 73 years old.
Initially, they wanted above all to solve the Tenorio enigma and embarked on a documentary.
Trueba will travel across Latin America and the world, carrying out 150 filmed interviews with musicians, known or not, who have worked with him, but also with his close friends and family.
Faced with the numerous testimonies and documents in their possession, the two filmmakers decide to change direction: they will write a docu-fiction, featuring an American journalist – voiced by actor Jeff Goldblum – who tries to elucidate the Tenorio mystery.
Mariscal, whose specialty is this, is responsible for visualizing the film, using “economical” animation, but whose simplicity ensures that the point is not blurred.
A story interspersed with extraordinary musical sequences
Because upon arrival, what a film, and what a story!
Without revealing too much of the plot, we must understand the historical context in which Tenorio evolved, which will change everything about his destiny: at the time of his disappearance, two dictatorships were in power, in Brazil and in Argentina.
Not at all militant, because so absorbed by his music and his emotional stories – he is married and a caring father, but he went to Argentina for concerts in 1976 with a mistress – the pianist just presents a physical aspect, with his beard and long hair, which makes him suspect in the eyes of the Argentine police officers who arrest young people in the street for no reason.
It was the terrible era of “death flights”, where political prisoners were thrown from airplanes at high altitude into the open sea.
Tenorio's mistress will be the last to see him alive: she left in the middle of the night to buy sandwiches, he will never reappear.
Beyond this incredible investigation and this very strong story, “They shot the Piano Player” impresses by reconstituting, by force of circumstances, the history of bossa nova.
Interspersed with extraordinary musical sequences that make the viewer dance in their seats, the film gives voice to all those who made this musical genre legendary, and even beyond.
Redrawn on screen but recorded with their real voices, we see myths of Brazilian music such as Antonio Carlos Jobim, Gilberto Gil, Milton Nascimento, and many others.
Everyone evokes in Tenorio an extraordinary figure, a pianist of genius who lived only through and for music, an essential character who, passing away too soon, did not have the chance to fulfill a destiny which should have taken him very far...
Editor's note:
4/5
“They shot the Piano Player”,
Spanish animated docu-drama by Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal, with the voice of Jeff Goldbum.
1h43.