The Music Will Move You
Read Time:3 Minute, 47 Second
MOVIE REVIEW
Elis & Tom
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Genre: Documentary
Year Released: 2023
Runtime: 1hr 40m
Directer(s): Roberto de Oliveira, Jom Tob Azulay
Where to Watch: opens exclusively at the Laemmle Town Center on September 15, 2023, then expands nationwide
FILMMAKER ON FILM REVIEW: Elis & Tom is a peak in Bosa Nova music history. The Brazilian music album features Elis Regina and Tom Jobim bringing their massive talents together to craft the album. Regina had wanted to record Jobim’s songs with him for years, and in 1974, over a few weeks, the recordings finally happened. Like the recently released Beatles Get Back recording sessions, Elis & Tom was one of those magical moments when artists come together at just the right time to create magic, and fortunately, a 16mm camera was running to preserve those sessions.
ELIS & TOM shifts back and forth between fly-on-the-wall scenes of the recording of the album and the artists out and about in Los Angeles and music industry professionals and others close to the duo discussing their music and the recordings. The 16mm footage is a mixed bag of beautifully shot performances in the studio and home video-style scenes of the duo relaxing and “hanging out.” These segments of the film cut to the music from the album are the reason to watch the movie. You really feel a part of the sessions, and even if you don’t appreciate the genre of music, you’ll enjoy the artistry of it. Regina’s voice is pure and beautiful, and hearing it while seeing the joy on her face during the recordings is magical. Also, from a filmmaking perspective, film cameras are not quite, so imagining shooting this footage in a sound studio is pretty entertaining.
ELIS & TOM does adhere to a pretty basic and stale formula for documentaries with its talking heads and b-roll, rinse, and repeat. The formula makes the film feel like a PBS project that’s elevated by the 16mm footage. The narrative is pretty loose, really just talking heads talking about the artists and the music. I was yearning for a more modern, coherent narrative to grab onto. If you’re into music, though, there are a lot of cool breakdowns of the Bosa Nova style and what makes it so unique. Obviously, this is a movie about Elis and Tom, but the praising of Elis in the first act of the film does go a little long. She is an amazing singer, and that does need to be stated, but not as many times as it is stated in the first act and throughout the film.
The final message of ELIS & TOM circles back to the purity and timelessness of the music and compares the recording sessions’ focus on voice with today’s focus on technology in music. Many of the creators feel that today’s music, with its focus on technology, is simply music for today and not timeless. While this attitude is common from an outgoing generation, a glance at the fast food here today gone tomorrow vibe of the music scene does prove these artists correct. Those messages mixed with the music of Elis & Tom are pretty powerful indeed. This documentary is for fans of these singers, fans of this genre of music, or fans of music in general. If you aren’t one of these, you will struggle with the extensive performance and recording scenes. If you’re in the correct demographic, though, there’s a feast waiting for you in ELIS & TOM.
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[photo courtesy of OUTSIDER PICTURES]
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Love your review except I don’t really agree that the praise over Elis Regina was overstated. If you really get into her work, especially with other vocalists like Milton Nascimento, you might just change your mind.