Ennio

The documentary builds Ennio Morricone's life and work around a long interview with the composer himself. It runs from his trumpet training at the conservatory, through the contempt of the serious music world for a man writing for films, through his schooldays with Sergio Leone, to more than five hundred film scores. Giuseppe Tornatore directed. He worked with Morricone for many years, and the emotional weight of the film comes from that closeness. It took five years to make. Tornatore travelled the world in that time, interviewing more than seventy directors and musicians. It was not shot in one go; they would record for a few days, stop, and think about who to approach next. Only the editing was done in a single block. It runs 156 minutes. Rotten Tomatoes sits at 91 percent across 54 reviews and Metacritic at 75 across 16. Who it is for: anyone interested in film music and in Morricone. Who it is not for: viewers wanting a critical portrait. This is a tribute and it goes nowhere contested about his work.