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Elis & Tom: It Had to Be You

Play trailer Poster for Elis & Tom: It Had to Be You Released Sep 15, 2023 1h 40m Documentary Music Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 3 Reviews 80% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Los Angeles, February 1974. TOM Jobim, the incarnation of Bossa Nova, and ELIS Regina, then Brazil's most popular singer, met to record what would become one of the most iconic albums in the history of Brazilian music. Through rare and never before seen images, "Elis & Tom: It Had to Be You" is the musical documentary that tells the story of how the encounter and recording of these two giant Artists happened. Elis brought her band, who joined Tom Jobim and the best musicians in LA, arranged by Bill Hitchcock at MGM studios. "Elis and Tom" reveals the conflicts and joys of a unique moment, in a journey through time, revealing the intimacy of the creative process and the extraordinary personalities of these amazing artists. The recording was captured by a team of filmmakers led by director Roberto de Oliveira, who arranged for the duo to meet. The original footage was kept for 45 years until they were restored and remastered in 2018. These rare and unpublished images drive this musical documentary. Dramas and tensions surrounded the recording of the album, to the point that the project was almost interrupted. In the end, the power of the music took over and led Elis Regina, Tom Jobim and a group of talented young musicians to record a masterpiece.

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Elis & Tom: It Had to Be You

Critics Reviews

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Owen Gleiberman Variety The album is great. Jobim and Regina are great. And the archival footage in “Elis & Tom” offers a handful of invaluable behind-the-scenes, inside-the-recording-studio moments. Yet given all that, it’s amazing how little the movie adds up to. Oct 13, 2023 Full Review Avi Offer NYC Movie Guru A captivating and illuminating documentary. Dec 3, 2023 Full Review Michael Talbot-Haynes Film Threat Elis & Tom meanders around with no sense of progression until the album is thankfully done. Rated: 5/10 Sep 25, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Peter P This was one of the most disappointing documentary experiences of all time. Totally discombobulated, loads of stupid talking heads who don't matter, and the worst crime: withholding the archival footage of the artists in the studio of them making this beautiful, classic music. The doc starts out by stating that rare 16mm footage of the LA sessions for Elis & Tom is available for the first time; then they barely use any of that footage and even cut away from the vintage performances to show contemporary commentary by some boring businessmen . UNFORGIVABLE Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 12/31/23 Full Review Erick Rodrigues F Filme incrivelmente estonteante, muito bem produzido, muito bem feito. Tom Jobim, gênio. Elis Regina, gênio. Documentário retrata a obra de repercussão mundial de dois gênios da música brasileira. Jobim com sua musicalidade da terra, sons da natureza, balanço das águas. Era um observador nato. Arranjador singular. Admirado por toda a comunidade mundial da música. Elis, tinha uma profundidade tão grande em sua voz, que por onde passava emocionava sua audiência. Excelente obra, assistam, tirem suas próprias conclusões. Não é à toa que Frank Sinatra tinha em Jobim uma grande fonte de inspiração e admiração. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/23/23 Full Review Erick F Filme incrivelmente estonteante, muito bem produzido, muito bem feito. Tom Jobim, gênio. Elis Regina, gênio. Documentário retrata a obra de repercussão mundial de dois gênios da música brasileira. Jobim com sua musicalidade da terra, sons da natureza, balanço das águas. Era um observador nato. Arranjador singular. Admirado por toda a comunidade mundial da música. Elis, tinha uma profundidade tão grande em sua voz, que por onde passava emocionava sua audiência. Excelente obra, assistam, tirem suas próprias conclusões. Não é à toa que Frank Sinatra tinha em Jobim uma grande fonte de inspiração e admiração. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/23/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Elis & Tom: It Had to Be You

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Cast & Crew

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Roberto de Oliveira

Director

Jom Tob Azulay

Director

Elis Regina

Self

Antonio Carlos Jobim

Self

César Camargo Mariano

Self

Nelson Motta

Writer
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Movie Info

Synopsis Los Angeles, February 1974. TOM Jobim, the incarnation of Bossa Nova, and ELIS Regina, then Brazil's most popular singer, met to record what would become one of the most iconic albums in the history of Brazilian music. Through rare and never before seen images, "Elis & Tom: It Had to Be You" is the musical documentary that tells the story of how the encounter and recording of these two giant Artists happened. Elis brought her band, who joined Tom Jobim and the best musicians in LA, arranged by Bill Hitchcock at MGM studios. "Elis and Tom" reveals the conflicts and joys of a unique moment, in a journey through time, revealing the intimacy of the creative process and the extraordinary personalities of these amazing artists. The recording was captured by a team of filmmakers led by director Roberto de Oliveira, who arranged for the duo to meet. The original footage was kept for 45 years until they were restored and remastered in 2018. These rare and unpublished images drive this musical documentary. Dramas and tensions surrounded the recording of the album, to the point that the project was almost interrupted. In the end, the power of the music took over and led Elis Regina, Tom Jobim and a group of talented young musicians to record a masterpiece.
Director
Roberto de Oliveira, Jom Tob Azulay
Producer
Diogo Pires Gonçalves
Screenwriter
Nelson Motta, Roberto de Oliveira
Distributor
Outsider Pictures
Production Co
Rinoceronte Films
Genre
Documentary, Music
Original Language
Brazilian Portuguese
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 15, 2023, Limited
Runtime
1h 40m
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