TORONTO (AP) 鈥� Many of the expected conventions of music biopics are present in 鈥淧iece by Piece,鈥� about the producer-turned-pop star , and 鈥淏etter Man,鈥� about the British singer . There鈥檚 the young artist鈥檚 urge to break through, fallow creative periods and regrettable chapters of fame-addled excess.
But there are a few, little differences. In 鈥淧iece by Piece,鈥� Pharrell is a Lego. And in 鈥淏etter Man,鈥� Williams is played by a CGI monkey.
If the music biopic can sometimes feel a little stale in format, these two movies, both premiering this week at the attempt novel remixes. In each film, each Williams recounts his life story as a narrator. But their on-screen selves aren鈥檛 movie stars who studied to get a part just right, but computer-generated animations living out real superstar fantasies.
While neither Williams has much in common as a musician, neither has had a very traditional career. Their films became reflections of their individuality, and, maybe, a way to distinguish themselves in the crowded field of music biopics like and
鈥淭his is about being who you are, even if it鈥檚 not something that can be put in a box,鈥� Pharrell said in an interview Tuesday alongside director Morgan Neville.
Also next to Pharrell: A two-foot-tall Lego sculpture of himself, which was later in the day brought to the film鈥檚 premiere and given its own seat in the crowd.
The experience watching the crowd-pleasing 鈥淧iece by Piece,鈥� which Focus Features will release Oct. 11, can be pleasantly discombobulating. A wide spectrum of things you never expected to see in Lego form are animated. Virginia Beach (where Pharrell grew up). An album of Stevie Wonder鈥檚 鈥淪ongs in the Key of Life.鈥� Jay-Z.
鈥淚鈥檓 just so grateful that everybody said yes,鈥� says Pharrell. 鈥淢organ said yes. Lego said yes. Focus said yes. Universal said yes. When you get to all those yeses, you realize how impossible this is.鈥�
Neville, the filmmaker of 鈥�20 Feet From Stardom,鈥� and , made 鈥淧iece by Piece鈥� like a documentary. When he interviewed people for the film 鈥� everyone from to 鈥� he spoke to them by Zoom and told them they鈥檇 be animated. But he didn鈥檛 share how.
Pharrell as a Lego is surprisingly winning. It鈥檚 a way to represent Pharrell as, at heart, a playful builder of beats, a man hellbent on fame who assembled his own destiny.
鈥淚 felt like everything we were doing in the film was totally reflective of the subject of the film,鈥� Neville says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not doing Lego because it鈥檚 a gimmick. We鈥檙e doing it because it鈥檚 the only way to tell this story right.鈥�
鈥淧iece by Piece鈥� will be the unusual film to potentially vie in both the best documentary and best animated film categories at along with the best song category. (Pharrell made several originals for it.)
The high concept of 鈥淏etter Man鈥� began with a query by filmmaker Michael Gracey, who directed the hit musical 鈥淭he Greatest Showman.鈥� He approached Williams, the bad-boy balladeer, with a question.
鈥淚 said: 鈥榃hat animal do you see yourself as?鈥欌�� Gracey told the crowd, introducing 鈥淏etter Man鈥� at the film鈥檚 Monday premiere. 鈥淎nd with a big grin he said, 鈥楲ion.鈥欌��
After a moment, Williams reflected and acknowledged the truer answer 鈥� for an entertainer who started out in boy band Take That 鈥� was a monkey.
In the film, the actor playing Williams is Jonno Davies 鈥� only we don鈥檛 see him, either. Not unlike the process on the 鈥淧lanet of the Apes鈥� films, Davies performed in a motion-capture suit. Later, digital effects teams placed the chimpanzee of the film on top of him. One part is Williams himself: the eyes of the monkey鈥檚 face. Every other character, meanwhile, is human.
While 鈥淧iece by Piece鈥� is a more all-ages release, 鈥淏etter Man鈥� is R-rated and doesn鈥檛 skimp on the rock 鈥榥鈥� roll debauchery. It鈥檚 the most cocaine you鈥檝e ever seen a chimp ingest.
It also makes for a peculiar viewing experience. Is Williams a more sympathetic figure as a wounded animal than he is as a human? Either way, Williams is delighted by the result.
鈥淔or a narcissist, it鈥檚 a wonderful treat,鈥� he beamed at the screening. 鈥淚鈥檝e seen it three times. It鈥檚 not enough.鈥�
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For more coverage of the Toronto International Film Festival, visit .
Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
