\”Pharrell Williams has decided to tell us a story of his life thus far using Lego as the creative conduit. The Lego bit is quite impressive and creative, the rest of it is really neither here nor there. Perhaps that's because he is just too young to present us with a compendium of his achievments. The boy from Virginia Beach lucking out when a big noise producer spots his band "The Neptunes" and gives them a chance, his persistence to get noticed, the undulation of his fame, his struggles with success and failure, friendships and family. His increasingly pivotal position in African American culture is all laid out like a yellow brick road, bumps and all, but none of it is particularity interesting. It isn't that different from the story that could be told by almost anyone trying to make it in the entertainment industry - actors, singers, musicians. There are the occasional graphics to tell us who is who, but the lego-fication of the animation sometimes makes it quite difficult to tell the characters apart and it does rely on quite a bit of knowledge of the man's career and of hip-hop to take much from it. It also doesn't really let us appreciate the music. Not that it needed to be a portmanteau of music videos, but the very thing that made and makes him relevant to so many hardly features at all. It's an imaginative production to look at, but the substance is lacking on just about every front.”

CinemaSerf

\”Our full review here: good.film/guide/piece-by-piece-is-2024s-most-surprising-and-inspiring-movie Oscar-winner Morgan Neville's new music bio-documentary, PIECE BY PIECE is smart, uplifting and wondrous. The whole “LEGO thing” seems like a bizarre way to encapsulate of one of the millennium’s most unpredictable musical talents, but it makes sensational sense when you get to know Pharrell and figure out how his mind ticks. Non-music fans might be tempted to wave Piece by Piece away, but with its focus on the energy we share and the space we occupy, it’s a surprisingly holistic experience for anyone. It’s not so much a film about music as it is about inspiration, and the explosive kaleidoscope of visual creativity on screen truly makes Piece by Piece stand out. Our full review here: good.film/guide/piece-by-piece-is-2024s-most-surprising-and-inspiring-movie”

good.film