Director:  Morgan Neville
Producers: Nicholas Cooper, Morgan Neville, Pharrell Williams
Starring: Pharrell Williams, Morgan Neville, Chad Hugo, Pusha T, Jay-Z, Missy Elliot, Gwen Stefani, Busta Rhymes, Justin Timberlake and Snoop Dogg.
Year: 2024
Country: UK
BBFC Certification: PG
Duration: 93 mins
Mavericks come in different shapes and sizes, but in a way they all come the same; they come different. Music producer, recording artiste and entrepreneur, Pharrell Williams is a maverick, no doubt about it. This creative genius can always be counted on to bring some kind of twist to whatever he does, including this ground-breaking documentary film about his life and works.
Piece by Piece tells the story of Pharrell Williams in a most innovative way, through lego animation. This is no easy feat and it could certainly have fallen flat had it not been helmed by a veritable auteur in Director,  Morgan Neville. The audacity of using this style of animation to tell such a story is underlined by the fact that it was Pharrell’s idea in the first place, according to the director, and it definitely paid off.
The European premiere of Piece by Piece was the closing gala of the recently concluded 68th BFI London Film Festival and evidently the icing on the cake for it’s five year journey to realisation. The event itself was nearly derailed by PETA animal rights protesters who unfurled a banner and shouted criticisms at Pharrell Williams on stage with Neville Morgan. Although clearly under the weather, Pharrell seized back the narrative by hoarsely acknowledging their protests before turning with gratitude to the audience for making the biggest screening of the film thus far.
Despite the drama, the audacious ambition of the project and the film itself didn’t fail to deliver. It featured an all star cast and who-is-who in the recorded music industry, including Timbaland, Jay-Z, Missy Elliot, Gwen Stefani, Busta Rhymes, Justin Timberlake and Snoop Dogg. This documentary explored the remarkable career of Pharrell Williams, from his early start in the business, along with his Neptunes partner in crime, Chad Hugo.  It charted his journey from school band, to rap coach on Teddy Riley’s Rump Shaker, followed by a meteoritic rise through multiple chart topping projects and productions before taking on the mike in his trademark falsetto.
Finally, another critical success factor for this documentary is the amazing soundtrack which is a veritable discography of Pharrell’s  works through the years. The toe tapping beats, head nodding grooves and finger snapping drum patterns made for a memorable experience with a full house audience at the  Royal Festival Hall. It really was a most fitting end to another superb London Film Festival and I can’t wait for the next one.
Piece by Piece
Film
Animation
5.0Overall
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Film and music lover, producer and critic; Author, Blogger and Entrepreneur; Mascot (part time), Foodie (full time) and IT Consultant / Rights Management Evangelist (time permitting).

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