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
The trailer of the upcoming film by Tythera Perry “Straw” is available, and his “Set It Off” meets “John Q” Vibes
The point is not that Tyler Perry cannot stop, because he won’t stop.
Leaving the very busy 2024, wherein he released three full-length films-“Mea Culpa”, “Divorce in black” and highly recognized “The Six Triple Eight” together with all his television programs and the introduction of a brand new series, corresponding to “Beauty in Black”-Mogul Mogul showed no signs of slowing down in 2025.
The “Tyler Perry’s Duplicity” psychological thriller appeared on Amazon Prime Video, and in June he drops “Straw” on Netflix. The trailer of “Straw” has recently been released and looks downs.
“Straw” is Taraji P. Henson as Janyah, a single mother fortunately, who is thrown out of her apartment, which reaches the last straw and decides to take matters into her hands. The configuration resembles the character of Thandiwe Newton in “Good Deeds”, which is able to win an identical fate, except that she met Wesley Deeds (Tyler Perry), who modified happiness and life with his generosity.
Based on the trailer of “Słomka”, it almost appears to be a version of the “Good Deeds” of the parallel universe wherein no wealthy businessman with the heart of gold appears. In “Słomych” Janyah reached a breakthrough.
Basically – and simply in response to the trailer – it appears that evidently “good deeds” are met “setting IT”, he meets the situation “John Q” … which implies that on June 6 I’ll prepare my popcorn.
Taraji P. Henson is not alien to work with Perry; She appeared in three of his other movies: “The Family That Proys” and “I can do all in myself” (two of his highest rated movies on Rotten Tomatoes), in addition to “Ballyhoo’d” Acrimony “(one of his lowest movies rated on the same platform). The film also includes Sherri Shepherd, Teyana Taylor, Glynn Turman, Sinbad, Rockmond Dunbar, Ashley Versher and Mike Merrill.
“Straw” debuts at Netflix on June 6.
(Tagstranslate) Netflix
Film
You can’t see “sinners” in the city of Mississippi, in which he settles. The local resident is trying to change it
The recent film by Ryan Coogler “Sinners” delights the audience throughout the country thanks to the stylish approach to vampires and the Mississippi Delta, other than the city where the film is set, Clarksdale, because there is no cinema.
After traveling twice, almost 80 miles to see the movie, 26-year-old native Mississippi Tyler Yarbrough began petition To get Warner Bros. and the solid of the film to organize successful show in the city of Clarksdale, Mississippi. Although the decisive date has not yet been set, Warner Bros replied.
The petition was born from a bottom -up effort that began on social media. When more people began to see the movie, Yarbrough began to see growing online conversations from other residents about how there was no way to see him in Clarksdale. The last cinema of the city, Delta cinema, closed in 2003. Soon the conversation turned to the motion, and far of wonder while it’s best to have the ability to organize a special show.
From there, he said on Monday, April 28, he sat down to write an open letter, submitting petition to Coogler and Warner Bros. to come to Clarksdale for “Return home”.
In the letter he wrote: “Return home not only for the film, but also for history, culture and future that still define our city and combine Mississippi creations with you and your work.”
The mayor of Clarksdale said with all emotion TMZ The show would probably occur in Juneteenth on the Clarksdale High School football field. Although this location is an option, it has not yet been confirmed.
“We try to pull this (test) within four to six weeks,” he said. “As for the actual cast, it will be a bit more difficult, but we are still trying to press so that some cast and production teams talk to us.”
“Sinners”, set in the era of Jim Crow in the Mississippi delta, presents the wealthy diversity of the region and the complexity of social conditions, which many had to endure. Despite the incontrovertible indisputable undeniable incontrovertible undeniable incontrovertible proven proven incontrovertible proven proven incontrovertible incontrovertible indisputable undeniable undeniable proven undeniable incontrovertible undeniable incontrovertible indisputable proven undeniable incontrovertible proven indisputable indisputable indisputable undeniable indisputable incontrovertible proven indisputable incontrovertible incontrovertible incontrovertible undeniable undeniable incontrovertible undeniable incontrovertible incontrovertible undeniable indisputable incontrovertible incontrovertible indisputable incontrovertible indisputable incontrovertible indisputable undeniable incontrovertible proven incontrovertible proven proven incontrovertible proven incontrovertible proven proven incontrovertible proven incontrovertible undeniable proven incontrovertible incontrovertible proven proven incontrovertible indisputable indisputable proven proven proven incontrovertible proven indisputable undeniable undeniable incontrovertible indisputable undeniable proven indisputable incontrovertible incontrovertible incontrovertible indisputable undeniable proven indisputable proven undeniable incontrovertible indisputable indisputable proven undeniable indisputable incontrovertible proven undeniable undeniable undeniable proven undeniable undeniable incontrovertible incontrovertible undeniable incontrovertible proven proven proven incontrovertible incontrovertible proven incontrovertible indisputable indisputable undeniable incontrovertible proven incontrovertible incontrovertible undeniable undeniable indisputable undeniable incontrovertible incontrovertible incontrovertible undeniable undeniable indisputable proven proven indisputable incontrovertible proven undeniable incontrovertible incontrovertible incontrovertible proven indisputable proven indisputable undeniable proven undeniable proven indisputable proven proven undeniable incontrovertible indisputable indisputable proven proven proven undeniable incontrovertible proven incontrovertible indisputable incontrovertible undeniable incontrovertible undeniable indisputable proven proven indisputable incontrovertible indisputable incontrovertible undeniable incontrovertible proven indisputable incontrovertible proven indisputable undeniable incontrovertible incontrovertible indisputable indisputable indisputable incontrovertible incontrovertible indisputable undeniable incontrovertible indisputable undeniable incontrovertible proven undeniable incontrovertible undeniable incontrovertible indisputable undeniable incontrovertible proven proven undeniable indisputable incontrovertible undeniable indisputable proven proven proven indisputable undeniable undeniable proven undeniable incontrovertible incontrovertible undeniable incontrovertible proven incontrovertible incontrovertible indisputable incontrovertible indisputable incontrovertible incontrovertible indisputable proven incontrovertible indisputable proven incontrovertible incontrovertible incontrovertible incontrovertible proven proven undeniable proven incontrovertible indisputable indisputable proven proven proven undeniable undeniable incontrovertible undeniable undeniable incontrovertible undeniable undeniable undeniable undeniable proven incontrovertible proven indisputable proven undeniable incontrovertible proven incontrovertible proven incontrovertible proven indisputable undeniable incontrovertible incontrovertible indisputable proven incontrovertible undeniable proven incontrovertible proven incontrovertible proven incontrovertible undeniable undeniable proven incontrovertible incontrovertible incontrovertible proven indisputable proven indisputable indisputable proven undeniable indisputable proven incontrovertible indisputable incontrovertible indisputable proven undeniable proven undeniable proven proven proven indisputable proven indisputable indisputable fact that he was shot in Louisiana, the film was praised for the authentic introduction of cultural music and blues of the region on an infinite screen. Yarbrough and others hope that the region he is celebrating can profit beyond increased recognition.
“We wanted it to be more than a show and we are still trying to do more than a show,” he explained. “We (we want) the cast and team so that they can go down to really experience some of these Juke ponds that disappear, but are still anchored in Clarksdale.”
Clarksdale plays an infinite role in the film as an environment and gave barely quite a bit of American culture, including history and blues. Yarbrough noticed how often stories are raised from the region and transformed into movies shot elsewhere. He would love to show the panel with the solid of the film and the team and local representatives of Clarksdale to discuss how Mississippi can attract more these great movies.
He added: “It was not shot at Mississippi. This is the reason.”
“One of our biggest resources are our stories, which are extracted, produced elsewhere, using other people, without using the labor force in Mississippi,” he continued. “How do we build it? This is one of the conversations that should be held.”
Yarbrough was encouraged by the rush of the constructing around the petition. He said he felt “very good” about the status of the initiative.
“I think it is very important that local people are associated with power and all this,” he said not only discussing the music and culture that the film presents so professionally.
“We must be combined with this power when it comes to Earth and agriculture,” he continued. “You have such a story, true, but you also have stories … which many people don’t know.”
He added: “And there is a reason why these stories are not in our collective consciousness, right? It is to disconnect us from this power, right? And so I see it as an opportunity to connect residents with this power again, remind people that he is not in Mississippi – Clackarksdale is still significant. I think Coogler has already done it, but I think it’s time.”
(Tagstotransate) Entertainment
Forget about one list of action or overloaded my mother’s trail. “Force Shadow” gives us something that we rarely see: a black woman with a weapon in one hand and a motherly instinct in the opposite. In his debut, Kerry Washington, together with SYRA SY, provides fresh dynamics, which again defines what it means to guard and ensure-on the screen and beyond.
“So it was really great to have this new chapter in my library, in which I try to save my son with my husband, and we save our son,” she added, describing this role as “an exciting forward move” in her story as an actress.
In this full thriller Washington and Sy, they play in Kyrah and Issac, two former international special forces officers who fall in love and get off the online to guard their son. Starring Da’vine Joy Randolph and Method Man and produced by Washington and Sterling K. Brown, “Shadow Force” appears to be a modern, black family return of the classic love history “Bonnie and Clyde”.
Sy shouldn’t be foreign to the genre, appearing in the productions of action such as “Lupine” and “The Killer”. However, he says that this film made him take into consideration his experience as the daddy of a five -person screen.
I assumed my life was complicated, but after this film I spotted that it was not complicated – he concluded.
Washington, who’s the mother of 4 children who deliberately holds in the focal point, says that this role helped her see the balance that each one parents must navigate between being strong and loving, protective and care. We saw the star “Scandal”, which repaired Unfixable on heels. But he examines the nuances of contemporary parenting, avoiding missiles, balancing the emotional work of motherhood with the physicality of survival.
“Everyone who is the native parent is bad donkeys,” she said. “We will always balance the need to be fierce, strong and brave and go to the world to protect our children, with the need to be present, loving, generous and warm.”
Paying attention to the balance that she and the characters of Syne offer one another, raising her son, Washington explained: “Such is parenting in many ways.”
“Not all are trained mercenaries who kill people on life, so the circumstances look different, but we are all in our parenthood, we really try to balance this courage with this love.”
In addition to exciting action scenes and thrilling jokes, “Shadow Force” accommodates a layered story that fully reflects the size of black parenting.
Watch Shadow Force in cinemas today.
(Tagstranslat) black parenting
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