Film
In “Piece by Piece”, Pharrell states that Lego fits his life story

TORONTO (AP) – When Pharrell Williams AND Morgan Neville decided to make a movie about Williams’ life, but animated from Lego bricks, they knew there can be a culture shock. But the creation of Piece by Piece still led to places that neither Williams, Neville or Lego could have predicted.
“We had a long discussion about the width of the back of the bikini bottom on the minifigure in the ‘Rump Shaker’ music video,” laughs Neville. “We had a lot of conversations about things I thought I would never talk about as a filmmaker.”
“Piece by Piece” didn’t include any easy assembly instructions. It’s part musical biopic, part documentary, part family film. It is, like many things in Williams’ life, stuffed with hits, radiating highs, beats and distinctiveness.
“Society likes to put us in boxes, pun intended,” Williams says, chatting with Neville. “It was a moment where this guy’s perspective on my life and the way he put it together was incredibly liberating for me. Even though I never saw myself in a box, now it helps other people too.”
“Piece by Piece,” which opens in Focus Features theaters on Friday, begins like many documentaries, with director Neville sitting with a camera crew focused on its foremost character, Williams. But on this case, Williams – and the whole lot else, including the bearded, bespectacled Neville – is Lego.
“What if we told my life in Lego?” – Williams asks within the film. “That will never happen,” Neville replies.
What follows is something of a conventional documentary, stuffed with colourful tales of past struggles and triumphs, from his childhood in Virginia Beach to a string of chart-topping hits, told through Williams’ voice and multiple talking heads. It was recorded this manner during interviews on camera, Zoom or phone, after which animated into Lego characters. Here’s finally a probability to see Busta Rhymes as Lego together with many others including Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg and Missy Elliott.
“Our first meeting was with Lego, because if they said no, there would be no film,” says Neville, director of documentaries including “20 Feet from Fame.” “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” AND “Steve!” To their credit, they not only agreed, but I feel they understood what development it might force them to make.”
For Lego, the Danish toy company, making “Piece by Piece” was its biggest challenge since entering feature-length movies with “The Lego Movie” from 2014 Neville approached the corporate’s director of world entertainment, Jill Wilfert, with the thought of making a documentary that can be the primary to be made not about himself. Wilfert reacted immediately.
“The whole idea of Lego is infinite creativity and limitless possibilities, and Pharrell really embodies that,” he says.
To prove the concept, Neville shot a 90-second video of Williams reflecting on his upbringing and his inspirations from artists like Stevie Wonder. (The “Songs in the Key of Life” vinyl record is one other one in all those belongings you never expected to see as Lego.)
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“I went away from saying, ‘This is definitely going to work,’” Neville says. “And everyone we showed it to understood. They said: I need to see this movie.
Still, Neville and Williams knew the Lego approach would mean working inside PG parameters. Some things about Williams’ life – comparable to being young and famous while performing in the highest circles of pop and hip-hop – would not fit right into a family film. Williams claims the film “paraphrases” his life.
“There were definitely some areas that didn’t meet my expectations of where we could go,” Wilfert says. “We had good dialogue throughout the entire process. Morgan and Pharrell, there was mutual respect because we are a brand that people have high expectations of and expect certain things from. So we worked with them on the areas that we thought made sense and the areas that didn’t make sense.”
It also pushed Lego in other ways. Williams is especially happy with the actual fact that Lego has expanded the range of skin tones and hair textures available because of the film. Williams’ Lego – which he carried proudly for the premiere of Piece by Piece on the Toronto International Film Festival – it was specially designed to match his skin tone.
“Name the type of person. We fought hard for its existence and recognition,” Williams says. “Lego has made a commitment and I think the brand is better for it.”
One of the film’s most inventive designs is illustrating songs that Williams created on his own or in collaboration, comparable to Snoop Dogg’s “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl,” Nelly’s “Hot in Herre” and Pharrell’s “Happy.” Each one is rendered as a novel, small, glowing set of Lego bricks put together.
The other, less completely happy facets of Williams’ life are out of the query. You won’t see anything “Blurred Lines” lawsuit by which Marvin Gaye’s estate sued for copyright infringement and won. There’s also nothing within the video about Williams’ recent legal spats with Neptunes co-founder Chad Hugo. Earlier this 12 months, Hugo filed a trademark opposition to the duo’s name, alleging that Williams had “fraudulently” tried to realize control of it. Williams’ representatives disagreed, saying Williams “contacted the company on numerous occasions to share ownership.”
However, “Piece By Piece” provides a positive portrait of Hugo, particularly from Williams’ early days in Virginia Beach when the 2 began making music together.
“There is nothing bittersweet. I am grateful for my experiences. “Chad is an integral part of the beginning, the genesis of my musical exploration and being there,” Williams says. “I met him in second grade in band class and the memories we have of making music together, I wouldn’t be sitting here if it weren’t for our meeting.”
Williams, who’s Men’s Creative Director at Louis Vuittonhas a talent for brand management. He released his debut solo album “In My Mind” in 2006 and way back got here into the highlight himself. However, as he himself admits, he remained a producer at heart. Not the whole lot in Piece by Piece was easy for him.
“A lot of this stuff felt vulnerable to me,” Williams says. “I cried twice during this story. I didn’t consider that he might ask questions that would trigger emotions. I’m such a manufactured person. I have produced so much of myself.”
It’s a sense that Neville can relate to, as a protean documentarian who’s accustomed to adapting to the style and attitude of his subjects.
“Pharrell, as a producer, often holds a mirror up to artists so they can see themselves. My job is to put a mirror in front of him so he can see himself,” Neville says. “I have a strange feeling that we have the same job.”
When Neville interviewed other musicians for the film, he told them they might be animated. But he didn’t say how. Only later did they learn that they might be Lego minifigures.
“Everyone was shocked and excited,” Williams says. “I feel prefer it brought out the inner child in each of them. Some of them take a look at life that way anyway. Others, even the tough ones, said, “Oh man, this is great.”
Capturing Williams’ life in a fun, even childlike way will definitely help some younger viewers connect with his story. Becoming a world-famous multi-hyphenate could seem unattainable to most, but “Piece by Piece” makes it seem almost like a lightning bolt.
“Lego highlights universality,” says Neville. “I have the impression that this whole film is an experiment in the tension between the specificity of real life and documentaries, and imagination and the universality of imagination.”
Film
Issa Rae, “one of them” and ongoing criticism of Black Art

Have you ever got involved in an interesting cultural conversation, at which the fundamental point is each interesting and solid, but examples accustomed to the fundamental point almost made the conversation dispute? I used to be there (or more accurately here) several times. In two of these conversations – one which has been occurring in various forms for many of the week – Issa Rae was in the middle of the universe.
In 2018, Wesley Morris, the award-winning Pulitzer Awards, wrote an article for the New York Times magazine, which began with a discussion about Magnum Opus Issa Rae-Cultural Starter of the Convention “Uncertainty”. In his work “Moral wars” The subtitle says: “In 2018, culture is more valued for its moral correctness than quality.” The song runs through the litany of art and artists, through which the worth, which we attach to things (or person), often replaces related work. In the case of Issa Rae, and especially “uncertain”, Morris didn’t recognize this system especially good (or more accurately, he thought it needs to be higher), but found other people because of what he represented and because of the dearth of other options in space.
I keep in mind that at the moment I read the article and was embarrassed, because regardless of its have to exist for various representative reasons, the series was in actual fact well written and well-acted-many people, many individuals. For me, “uncertain” covered all basics each in style and substances, unlike several other options on the table; I felt like he was collecting “uncertain” and just bad. I even wrote an article shortly after he provided a far more glaring example of a movie, which I don’t call, which could only be praised for what was imagined to be, since the film, based on a highly regarded book at the moment, was chatting.
During Morris’s article, conversations about Issy Rae stars and who she could turn into and what she could do outside the “uncertain” world were furious. We learned that Rae had a ton in a sleeve-from actions in movies to creating recent programs and being a general, versatile, creative plus for the legacy of Black Hollywood. I’m curious how Morris thinks about “uncertainty” since the series wrapped as Rae became part of our cultural awareness in terms of black art and representation on the screen. Not to say that she gave us one of the most important quotes in the entire black story when she said about Emmy Red-Carpet in 2017 that “she supported all black.”
It is now 2025, and Issa Rae has greater than has proven on the earth of black entertainment. So I used to be hit by the last conversation in regards to the threads, began with (from what I can say) comments made by Dr. Jenn M. JacksonAdvertisement Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs University of Syracuse University. Assuming that my schedule is correct, in response to the user’s comment about individuals who take the movie “One of them”-a movie about finding money for rent in someday, through which Keke Palmer and Shah-Shans appeared, Dr. Jackson reminded that (Dr. Jackson uses their pronouns) They will organize black women who don’t order black women. Jackson added that Rae (whose company, Hoorae Media, was the producer of the film) was roughly that the world is presented within the film, and due to this fact should follow rivers and lakes that she got used to – medium black life. They also questioned Issa La Bonafides (and her ability to inform this particular history LA), claiming that Issa comes from Maryland. It began all kinds of online conversations about who can tell what stories.
Let me make it clear; I have no idea Dr. Jackson, but I feel that they and everyone who desires to discuss anything in social media has the correct to their opinions. Dr. Jackson also noticed this They are fans of Issa’s work. Having said this, their approach to Issa Rae on this film, specifically, seems strange to me.
I say this because Issa Rae, which is in the middle of criticism, didn’t write the script. If the story misleads or negatively represents black women (conversation is all the time price having), it looks like beef is with the screenwriter – a single – not rae. Where does Rae come from or the commentary point from which he speaks is sort of debatable, unless Rae said that this story should be told in a certain way, which has not been said. It is as if Dr. Jackson was aiming at Issa, since it is a reputation with probably the most cultural cache in conversation, but makes the discussion about one thing (Rae and her authority of telling stories that was assured), unlike the true query: is the film based on negative representations of black women? Where she raised Rae (from which Los Angeles was individually; she lived there for at the least enough years to be her home base), and how she was brought up, she has nothing to do with this movie.
I’m confused why Issa Rae, who in all respects didn’t attempt to be thoroughly misleading or where she comes from or from what point of view she says, became the goal of a negative criticism of the film written by one other black woman, simply being one of several producers. I attempted to provide you with where I misunderstood it. As I said, I have no idea Dr. Jackson, so I don’t assume that it’s to be personal, however the argument falls flat. I watched “one of the days” and although I’m one of those individuals who simply perceive him as a movie that made me laugh-this could be very “Friday”-I can appreciate how others cannot divorce from the movie from what it means culturally, even when I do not see the identical.
But also I don’t understand how ISSA may be seen as a false presentation of any part of culture. If there may be one thing that I can assign ISSA, since it is consistently and intentionally tried to offer the approach to stories that we’ve got not seen before, this feature of us, whether an actor, author or producer. Always, as she said, “supporting all black”, and because she has an actual platform that may put her money where her mouth is, she does it. The dissatisfied view on her participation on this film seems unfair. No art is greater than criticism; This appears to be inappropriate criticism of this art.

I can admit that each one art will not be for everybody. There are hordes of black movies on Amazon Prime and Tubi, which prove this point day-after-day. And there are absolutely filmmakers who’ve little interest in telling some stories; However, I’m undecided how Issa got into it.
I often find it interesting what angle (and I’ll include myself on this criticism) as individuals with opinions which have platforms determine to speak. Definitely black individuals who don’t have any business, attempting to tell some stories about our culture because of an absence of experience or sensitivity. I do not think Issa is one of them, but I do not feel like she was attempting to tell stories that he doesn’t know. It seems that he supports those that wish to tell stories that they know and allow them space and platform. As it might be lower than winning, it’s outside me; And as it may possibly raise her upbringing and cultural awareness to the talk, she is interesting – at the least to this point.
I’ll say that conversations about black, which is it and who has the correct to accomplish that, will all the time be present, and the nuances will all the time provide feed for dispute and discourse. Talking about Issa Rae and her art will not be bad because all creations open to the talk. But just like the criticism of “uncertain” Morris gave the impression to be the correct idea, however the mistaken example, criticizing the film representation, however the pursuit of the indisputable fact that Vitriol will not be for a author, but probably the most star related to him is inaccurate.
Sometimes the subject is suitable, however the angle is bad; This is only one of those days.

(Tagstranslate) @AP
Film
Trevante Rhodes: A versatile actor and star “Moonlight” and more

Trevante Rhodes joined the list of outstanding black actors and actresses in Hollywood with a praised and comprehensive role in movies similar to “Moonlight” and “Bird Box” Netflix. The former athlete of the university showed the range within the roles during which he fought with the predator and drew the eye of Kelly Rowland on the screen.
Early life and beginnings
Trevante Nemour Rhodes was born on February 10, 1990 in Ponchaatoou, Louisiana, for the aim of Demour Dangelo and Jessi Rhodes. The family, which embraced Brother Giovanni, eventually moved to Little Elm in Texas, when Rhodes was ten years old. During the university, Rhodes would change into a versatile sprinter and Longhorn football team. In 2009 he even won the gold medal at Mr. American Junior Athletics Championships.
The college can also be a spot where an acting mistake found him. As a track star on the University of Texas in Austin, a typical jogging within the campus modified his life when someone invited him to interrogation. Quickly until 2012, and the most important of corporate communication moved to Los Angeles to proceed acting after graduating.
After moving to Los Angeles, he debuted within the short film “I Come Back” in 2012. Until 2014, he received an indefinite role within the horror movie “Open Windows” and debuted on the TV within the drama “Gang Related”. In 2015, for the primary time he collaborated with Tyler Perry in his program “If Loving You Is Wrong”.
A breakthrough role within the “Moon”

In 2003, the playwright Tarell Alvin McRaney wrote “In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue”, which became the idea of the award -winning academy of the film “Moonlight”. Rhodes won praise for the presentation of a black American fighting his sexuality and identity in a groundbreaking role. The most important character, Chiron, appeared within the drama about maturing, in three centuries/scenes of his life and presented by three different people.
Rhodes captivated the screen within the third act as an adult Chiron, although he originally questioned to play in childhood, Kevin. Talking to The Hollywood Reporter in 2016, the actor said:
“Even in the middle of the interrogation, Barry (director) does not stop me, and he says:” I need you to read the second role (Chiron). ” He continued: “I wish to study other people. I actually didn’t understand it until Moonlight.”
The film won the 2017 Academy Award for one of the best photo-how presenters incorrectly announced “La La Land” as a winner in strange mixing.
“The car was moving (before the” Moon Light “), but I was on the 10 mile line per hour, which is fine because I move and I am grateful,” he said. “But for so many reasons this film placed me in a fast lane,” said Rhodes The La Times.
In addition to more acting options and Oscar for his refined performance, the Texas native also landed a campaign for Calvin Klein.
Versatility between species

In the “12 Strong” edition in 2018, Rhodes played Sergeant Ben Milo in Docudram in regards to the special forces unit, which went to Afghanistan right after September 11. As the Mississippi Actor said:
“My preparations included a conversation with several veterans. They were very open and honest about both their downtime and the experience of the battle. They shared good, bad and everything between.”
The actor once more played a soldier this year-but this time within the role of science fiction-when he went to his fingers with the famous alien in “The Predator”. His character, Nebraska Williams, showed her motion and a humorous side while fighting the extinction of the customarily invisible invader. In the identical 12 months he played Josh Malelan in “Bird Box”, opposite Sandra Bullock. The dystopian film showed the sympathetic side of the actor when he tried to survive the world almost extinct by a mysterious being causing self -mutilation.
Rhodes also tried his hand at biographical performances. In 2021 he played the federal agent Jimmy Fletcher within the United States vs. Billie Holiday. ” Everyone who has Hulu screening services saw how in 2022 he takes the role of the legendary boxer Iron Mike Tyson in “Mike”.
He also showed his comedy chops within the family comedy “Candy Cane Lane” in 2023. Rhodes played the weather forecast, which mentioned humorous lines with the legend of Eddie Murphy as figures focused on winning the annual decorative competition in the world.
The latest projects in 2024

Rhodes once more collaborated with Tyler Perry in 2024. In the performance in “Mea Culpa” with Kelly Rowland, the actor made many viewers wonder if his character, man and artist Zyair Malloy, was guilty of murder. His smoldering charm stood out in a dark romantic thriller, despite the film’s review.
As Beat Baltimore said:
“So, although the audience should be careful with Zyair, a man who could kill his girlfriend, it is difficult to take root against his noticeable chemistry from Mea. Sure, he can be a murderer, but he is a hunk who paints nice portraits and looks like Trevante Rhodes.”
In addition to the Netflix thriller, Rhodes will once more cooperate with Perry – this time as a filmmaker. The actor has a directing debut within the film “T” in 2025, and the project that he devotes to his adopted Chicago house. Like his mentor, Perry, who deals with several points of production, Rhodes wrote and will lead and appear within the film. Perry can also be an executive producer.
“For five years this film was my private passion project. I began to write during isolation in 2020 and since then I did not give way. This is my” Citizen Kane “, said Eurweb.
The actor also funds the project together with his production company, Toula Capital – an undertaking that he began together with his University of Texas with members of the Austin team. The company was also behind the “Mike” Hulu series and the film “Bruiser”.
(Tagstotranslate) Trevante Rhodes
Film
Mahershala Ali: Awarded Oscar Actor and Hollywood Trailblazer

If you caught any of the performances of Mahershala Ali – similar to Juan in “Moonlight” (2016), Dr. Donald Shirley in “Green Book” (2018) or Detective Wayne Hays in “True Detektyw” (2019) – we probably do not have to persuade you that he’s considered one of the best actors of his generation.
But there may be rather a lot more It is alleged that he’ll appear in the brand new film “Jurassic World”. Read on to get a full division of Mahershala Ali movies, television programs and many others.
Early life and education
Considering the impressive heights that Ali achieved in his profession, you may be surprised by the main points of his modest origin. Here’s how Ali’s life took him from Oakland streets to Hollywood’s higher levels.
Influence of family origin
As the actor himself thought on the Screen Guild awards in 2017, Ali was born in Oakland, California in 1974. His mother, Williac, ordained minister, called him Mahershalalhashbaz Gilmore, after the second son of the biblical prophet Isaiah. His grandmother was also an assistant to a pastor and minister, so Ali grew up in a deep Christian environment.
This steadfast faith was partly a response to difficult conditions. Ali’s parents were teenagers when he was born and his father left shortly after birth to proceed his dancer’s profession. Ali would encourage these difficulties to search out an inventive outlet for his emotions.
Academic classes and early interests
He can have such a probability when he got here to Saint Mary’s College of California, the primary person in his family who attended college. During his stay in Saint Mary’s, Ali played basketball (and even won a basketball scholarship), wrote poetry, hosted a radio program and created his own music. But it was on the stage where he would find its most significant mouth.
Thanks to the encouragement of his professor, the so -called Hippie Berkeley, Ali appeared in “Spunk”, an art that he initially saw along with his father as a toddler. Art was not only extremely popular, but externally subversive. It was black art with a black man, which many of the White School. Ali found a therapeutic power in presenting the characters on the stage, and the experience would have an enduring impact on his future.
The beginnings of a profession

After the transcendental experience in “Flunk” Ali graduated from Saint Mary’s, took a bit free from school, and then attended the New York University of Tisch School of the Arts to proceed his involvement in acting.
Initial roles within the theater
After moving to New York from California, Ali continued his acting profession, appearing in subsequent stage arts, including:
- “Blues on heaven in Alabama”
- “SCHAND SCHOOL”
- “Lie of the mind”
- “Doll House”
- “Monkey inside”
- “Buyer Venice”
- “New place”
- “Secret injury, mystery of revenge.”
Fortunately, for acting fans from outside New York, Ali intended to take his talents from stage to screen.
A breakthrough performance on television
Ali graduated in 2000 and quickly launched a master’s degree, expanding his recognition as an actor. He found his start in television programs similar to “Crossing Jordan”, by which Dr. Trey Sanders played for nearly 20 episodes. In 2003, he also appeared in 15 episodes of “Matrix Threats”, 32 episodes of “4400” in 2004–2007 and 12 episodes of the supernatural drama “Alphas” within the years 2011–2012. But it was “House of Cards”, which might attract a brand new level of recognition and attention.
Ali played a lawyer and lobbyist Remy Danton in Netflix political drama in a 33-episode run that brought him latest fans. The role paved the trail of the brand new era of international significance for the ever -growing actor.
Keep in importance within the film
Because Mahershala Ali landed more and more television roles, he also had time to interrogate movies, slowly constructing a CV, which can eventually grow to be undeniable. He made his debut within the film in “Taste The Revolution” (2003), where he played a revolutionary College named Mac Laslow.
But the primary essential film role of Ali took place only in 2008, when he appeared in “The Corious Case of Benjamin Button” with heavyweight actors, similar to Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. He still built his platform with roles similar to Mombasa in “Predators” (2010) and Kofi in “The Place Beyond The Pines” (2012), the primary film by which he used the short type of his name Mahershala.
Noteworthy movie roles

After being founded as an actor on a world stage with an avalanche of film and television roles, Ali finally began to win the praise he deserved.
The academy wins and nominations
As you would possibly expect, all of the exertions of Ali was not unnoticed by critics and committees. Ali won two Oscars: the perfect performance of the actor as a supporting role “Moonlight” in 2017 and the perfect performance of the actor within the role of supporting “Green Book” in 2019.
He also won many other awards and nominations, similar to the BET 2017 award for the perfect actor, the BAFTA 2019 Award for the perfect supporting actor for “Green Book” and many original nominations for Emma for his or her roles in “True Detective”, “House of Cards” and “Rama”.
Signature results
Ali gained loads of praise and distinctions for his supporting roles, but that does not imply he cannot play a number one man. If you might be in search of projects that place Ali on the center stage, check the science fiction movie “Swan Song” (2021), Antological series “True Detective” (2019) or Drama Netflix “Leave the world behind you“(2023).
Achievements on television

In addition to those recognized movies, Ali left an enduring mark in the tv industry, proving that a small screen might be home for a similar difficult, refined performances often saved for the major film editions.
Landmark series and roles
As we mentioned earlier, “House of Cards” turned out to be a very important moment in Ali’s profession. Of course, his impressive television loans don’t end there.
The actor won special praise for his performances as Cottonmouth Stokes in “Luke Cage” in 2016 and Detective Wayne Hays in “True Detective” in 2019. Even nomination for the unique EMMA for these and other series, including “Chimp Empire” and “Rami”.
Currently, the web value of Mahershala Ali is $ 12 million.
Contribution outside of acting
Even making a multi -story profession in film and television acting was not enough to satisfy Ali’s ambitions. That is why he has also borrowed his star power over the past few years.
Spokeswoman for diversity and representation in Hollywood
As a second black one that won many Oscars for acting after Denzel Washington, Ali is an obvious incarnation of the potential influence of diversity in Hollywood. He also worked on providing younger black similar possibilities, for instance when he produced the HBO document “We are the dream: the kids of oakland mlk oratorical fest” (2020). The film platform children who participated in the general public speaking competition in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. And he was nominated for Primetime Emmy Award for an impressive program for kids.
Philanthropic efforts and community involvement
Ali publicly talked in regards to the transformation from Christianity to Islam as an adult and, in consequence, faced discrimination. He also in favor of suspension of weapons within the war in Gaza and offered support to Palestinians living in Gaza.
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