Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
A portrait of Ennio Morricone, the most popular and prolific film composer of the 20th century, the one most loved by the international public, a two-time Oscar winner and the author of over five hundred unforgettable scores.
Ennio is a lovingly crafted documentary portrait of one of cinema's most singular musical voices. Its novelty is genuinely high — Tornatore brings an insider's intimacy and a sweeping cinematic scale rarely seen in music documentaries, weaving archive footage, interviews with giants of film, and Morricone's own reflections into something that feels genuinely special. The cinematography is solid but conventional for the form. The structure, while rich, can feel sprawling given its nearly three-hour runtime, and the ending, while emotionally resonant, follows a predictable elegiac arc. Acting doesn't truly apply but interview subjects are compelling. Overall reputation of ~8.3 is well justified by the exceptional subject and Tornatore's devotion, though the film's documentary conventions keep it from perfection across all dimensions.