The musical genius of superstar producer Pharrell Williams is on full display in , a clever, unconventional nonfiction biopic told through animation, with the participants in the style of Lego figures. Award-winning documentarian Morgan Neville ( ) aims for a a cheeky, crowd-pleasing twist on the typical snapshot of an inspirational artist and the picture’s clear highlights are the behind-the-scenes tales of how classic tracks like ‘Drop It Like It’s Hot’ and ‘Alright’ were made. By comparison, though, the 51-year-old visionary fails to leave much of an impression himself.
opens in the US on October 11 through Universal before closing the London Film Festival (it hits UK cinemas on November 8). Williams has been a force in the pop and rap worlds for more than two decades, fashioning chart smashes for everyone from Justin Timberlake to Jay-Z and No Doubt — and that’s to say nothing of his own chart-topping, Oscar-nominated solo song ’Happy’ from — so there should be sizable interest in this biopic. (Helping matters is the fact that several of the icons he has collaborated with, including Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and Timberlake, appear as Lego-fied talking heads.
) The film recounts Williams’ humble origins growing up in the Virginia projects, and his growing interest in performing and songwriting – a desire fortified when he met like-minded classmate Chad Hugo. Forming the collective The Neptunes, the duo initially struggle but, led by Williams, they.