REVIEW: PIECE BY PIECE

3.5/5

One Piece

93 Mins. Starring: Pharrell Williams. Screenplay: Morgan Neville. Director: Morgan Neville. In: Theatres.

Brick by brick, 'Piece By Piece' is the feel-good movie of 'Happy', 'Get Lucky' prolific producer and amazing artist, Pharrell Williams' life. The former music N.E.R.D., who formed The Neptunes with producing partner Chad Hugo, has scored hits from everyone from Jay-Z, to Gwen Stefani. No doubt, or frontin' about it. But the sweet singer and musical mogul in his own right has had quite the life and times. Nothing is regular about the man who blurred lines, made music for millions and minions and also formed a Billionaire Boys Club in Tokyo, Japan for white t-shirts way more expensive than Hanes. Now, 'Piece By Piece' finds seat by seats in cinemas in the Far East land of the rising sun, we can just see how ahead of his time and in his prime Pharrell was. I'm sorry Mr. Carter for stealing your line, like a son of a b#### searching for goodwill, but he IS for real.

LEGO have made movies for everybody. From Star Wars to Marvel. You only have to log in to your Disney Plus to see just how awesome that all is. But now, following the Chris Pratt starring 'LEGO Movie' and 'The LEGO Batman' movie that might actually be the coolest caped crusader since Adam West's camp, films from the Danish construction company may seem as old hat as Pharrell's ones were big (after the trucker hat, Von Dutch like phase), but these brickfilm's are building their own universe like the M.C.U., or master builder K.E.V.I.N. Feige. LEGO blocks may sometimes feel as dated as the former futuristic beats of Pharrell and them, but it's still a trip. And the perfect one for the time capsule. Bringing the early days on Virginia Beach, with dreams of hearts in Atlantis, to life, like those times with Hugo, Shay Haley and Pusha T of The Clipse, grinding. Right in the same neck of the woods that Timbaland and Missy Elliott grew up in, honing their sound. It's no wonder the King of New Jack Swing, Teddy Riley, put down studio session roots here, giving Mr. Williams his first break in the biz. Them, plus a mountain of legos and big names, feature in this film. Some we won't spoil, but I'm sure you can guess all the rest, like, "he's a friend of mine". And just wait until you hear who his teacher is.

 

Knocking on your door, this 'ish really is bananas. P.H.A.R.R.E.L.L. And this really is his dog mess. Word to the hilarious poop emoji that keeps things PG-13 in this movie. Scripted and directed by Morgan Neville (who made the great Fred Rogers documentary 'Won't You Be My Neighbor?'), 'Piece By Piece' makes bricks out of the blockbuster music talent, like 'Better Man' (also out now in Japanese cinemas) made an ape out of cheeky monkey Robbie Williams. So take that, to anyone who thinks these biopics with a creative controlled twist are merely vanity pieces. Pharrell even throws shade at his own ego and arrogance in this film that at the start takes itself way too seriously, but in the end is just a love letter to all those who wanted to see him win. Even if in the end, that would leave him crying on Oprah. No matter, they're 'Happy' tears. There are almost as many Williams hits as there are LEGO bricks, and just as many artists who helped put him on...and this together ("what, what", superstaaar!), and this is what makes this performance piece so powerful and anything but child's play, Chuck. The Synthesia of this biographical documentary comedy is on an 'I Am Other' level. TIM DAVID HARVEY.

Further Filming: 'Better Man', 'The LEGO Movie', 'Despicable Me'.