As far as imagination goes, Piece by Piece is visually and creatively spectacular. It marries documentary filmmaking — which is very traditional here — with a remarkable LEGO animation style. When I saw this was a documentary about Pharrell Williams, I was initially surprised. Turning the renowned producer’s life story into a LEGO animated film was ambitious, to say the least. But director Morgan Neville, the team of animators, and writers — Neville, Oscar Vazquez, Aaron Wickenden, and Jason Zeldes — do a phenomenal job creating something fun with the pieces of Williams’ life, even if some of those pieces don’t all work.
Piece By Piece Employs Color & An Energetic Animation Style To Tell Its Story
I Couldn’t Look Away From The Stunning Visuals
Piece by Piece is gorgeous to look at. It’s not only that it has fantastic LEGO animation, but it’s how these elements are used to enhance the story. For example, whenever Williams and the Neptunes — co-created by Chad Hugo, who recently filed a lawsuit about the rights to the duo’s name — created a beat, that beat would be made up of various LEGO pieces that would come together and come alive. It would bounce up and down and left and right, bright colors emanating from it as though it couldn’t be contained. It’s a beautiful representation of music.
There’s also a sequence where Williams travels the world, and the LEGO animators create a moving globe that spins towards us, coming alive with a variety of LEGO sets for some of the most well-known architecture. In a climactic scene, when Williams is feeling overwhelmed, the animation drowns him in water, and the scene, paired with cacophonous, kinetic music, nicely captures his struggles and feelings at the time before settling into the silence of space (where he’s calmed by Carl Sagan). These elements of the film offer a zippy visual palate that won’t be found in other documentaries.
Piece by Piece is gorgeous to look at. It’s not only that it has fantastic LEGO animation, but it’s how these elements are used to enhance the story.
It’s what brings Williams’ story to life and kept me actively watching. The filmmaking soars above everything else, making me forget how straightforward the storytelling is. Piece by Piece also resonates because it’s unabashedly hopeful and full of joy. Williams is adamant about making people feel that way, especially while watching the film. His passion for music and his happiness while talking about it is deeply felt. The filmmakers capture that essence and turn it into a magical, exceptional viewing experience that can’t be replicated anywhere else.
Piece By Piece Doesn’t Dig Any Deeper Than It Has To
Certain Aspects Of Williams’ Life Aren’t Given Much Attention
Beyond the LEGO animation and the creativity that stems from that, Piece by Piece takes a rather conventional route when it comes to exploring Williams’ life. Interviews with big-name celebrities like Jay-Z and Missy Elliott act as a driving force for the chronological life story. Any conflicts — like the one that led to the Neptunes breaking up — and revelations — like Williams admitting his ego got the better of him — are glossed over, going unexplored meaningfully. They’re left to a rushed ending that sees Williams quickly accepting these things as he moves on to the next stage.
This is jarring when it spends so much time on Williams’ rise to fame. Even his relationship with now-wife Helen Williams is abbreviated, as is his friendship with Hugo, who initially gets some attention before mostly fading into the background. Piece by Piece is primarily concerned with being fun, and it is certainly that. A little girl at my screening got up and danced whenever one of Williams’ songs played. It’s hard to deny its energy is infectious, but perhaps I was looking for more depth from a film that was never going to give it considering its format.
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To that end, Piece by Piece is the kind of documentary that’s geared toward adults and children alike. Its LEGO animation ensures the vulgarity of certain lyrics and recreation of music videos are heavily toned down. I couldn’t help but become a bit nostalgic as the film went through Williams’ production discography, from songs like Nelly’s “Hot in Herre” to Britney Spears’ “I’m a Slave 4 U” and Jay-Z’s “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)”, the film is full of the producer’s “best of” collection.
His career is a stunning achievement when looking back on it through the lens of Piece by Piece. The documentary manages to shed certain traditions through its animated format and hones in on the importance of building something piece by piece, as the title alludes to. Some of the profound elements are shaved off to keep things entertaining and PG, but they — the admittedly more interesting aspects — come too late in the film to make an impact. It’s a shame, but what the documentary lacks in depth it makes up for with style, creativity, and entertainment value.
Piece by Piece is in theaters Friday, October 11. The film is 93 minutes long and rated PG for language, some suggestive material and thematic elements.
7/10
Piece by Piece is an animated musical biography film directed by Morgan Neville. The film explores the life and career of musician and performer Pharrell Williams, who, through LEGOS, shows the evolution of his creative process throughout his life.
- The animation is stunning and certain scenes really pop visually
- The inclusion of the music Pharrell Williams produced adds to the fun factor
- The documentary is lively and engaging
- Certain elements from Pharrell’s life are glossed over, so