A LEGO musical biopic on paper may sound a little crazy, but when Piece by Piece tells the story about a musician like Pharrell Williams, all the pieces snap together for something as colorful, unique, and inventive as the man himself.
Piece By Piece Review
Musical biopics typically follow the same tried and true (read: kinda boring) formulaic approach– early life, rise to stardom, something dark and depressing, then finally a triumphant return. Sure there is nothing wrong with doing them that way but what if they were something more? Something different. Seems like I wasn’t the only who felt that way and if Pharrell Williams is telling his story it cannot be anything short of visionary. Enter Morgan Neville’s Piece By Piece, an animated LEGO documentary that on paper sounds a little out there but comes together in a way that will make you realize there wasn’t any other way to tell Pharrell’s story.
From the start we encounter Pharrell, preparing to sit down for an interview with Neville. Except instead of seeing Pharrell the person, we see his LEGO minifigure. Pharrell floats the idea of using LEGO early on to Neville who like many of us seems a little doubtful, but is willing to give it a shot. After all, Pharrell connects to LEGO on a personal level. He believes everything we make comes from pre-existing pieces. What better way to share his life with us than by using the one toy that promotes that kind of creative thinking.
A LEGO musical biopic it is then where dynamically animated sketches highlight events from his childhood, The Neptunes trying to make it big, his solo success, and more. It’s as colorful, unique, and inventive, just like Pharrell. Piece by Piece is as quirky and fun as the beats he and Chad Hugo have created over the years while also delivering a solid message about the importance of staying true to yourself. Even as a VA girl who knew some of Pharrell’s story, I found out a lot I didn’t know. Like how Teddy Riley’s verse in Rump Shaker was all Pharrell. Side note: I never thought I would see a Wreckx-n-Effect music video LEGO style, but it happened and it’s as hilariously amazing as it sounds.
Pharrell explains that he experiences synesthesia, which means he sees music visually not just audibly. When he hears music, his brain processes it in colors and shapes. Piece by Piece takes this concept and runs with it. It’s practically bursting at the seams with vibrating colors, swirling shapes, and of course LEGO pieces being used in some visually interesting ways. Blue plastic pieces ripple to mimic the tides coming in on Virginia Beach, where Pharrell grew up. Transparent bricks reflect light to amplify the feeling of being inspired. But the most eye-catching moments involve the depiction of creating music. The beats created are like Frankenstein’s monster, a collection of miscellaneous LEGO pieces stuck together that come alive thanks to the rhythm.
Even the camera work is special, since Neville has it moving as if this were a real documentary. It follows its subjects in their day-to-day lives, sometimes in sweeping movements, others like a handheld camera. It zooms in on closeups or switches focus to background people in order to gauge reactions. Some moments the interviewees seem just like regular toys while in others they loom larger than life. Neville might be treating this all like real-life but it doesn’t take away from how amusing it is to see legendary hip-hop artists, producers, and others in their minifig forms. Snoop Dogg towers over all the others with special leg extenders because as Pharrell states, Snoop is really tall. Shoutout to the animation department for capturing Snoop, Busta Rhymes, N.O.R.E, Jay-Z, and the others so accurately.
Unlike other musicians that have been the focus of musical docs this year (The Beach Boys, The Beatles) Pharell’s life isn’t marred by a huge scandal or substance abuse. Even his family life is solid, no dramatic retellings to be seen, as they have always been supportive of his passions. (RIP to his grandmother, who like mine, was his rock) According to Pharrell, his biggest struggles came from overextending and forgetting himself that led to creative burnout. Once he took sometime to reassess what was important to him, he came back as strong as ever. The takeaway here is the reminder to be true to yourself and to never forget those who have your back, win or lose.
Okay but the music. I love a good needle drop and we’ve already had some pretty great ones this year (Deadpool & Wolverine immediately comes to mind) but this one just might take the crown for me. When you’re getting hit with some of the greatest songs of the late 90s early 00s (millennial music heaven) all while being treated to a visual medley of the videos in LEGO form? Fire. There were songs I forgot about and made notes to find on Apple Music to add to my playlists. (I know they are on a burned CD somewhere but who has a CD player anymore?) If you are a fan of Pharrell’s collab catalog you’re going to love Piece by Piece if only for the music. It’s like a mini-concert where the DJ only plays the hits and you don’t have to stand around all night, you can nod your head from your comfy seat.
Don’t worry though, this film is made with kids in mind. All the raunchy or explicit lyrics are toned down to their radio version mixes. The music videos and performances are equally tame. Even Snoop’s cloud of ahem “white smoke” is shrugged off as just “PG Spray” that the characters add to the scene using an aerosol can. Kids won’t get it but you’re going to have a good laugh.
Verdict
Piece by Piece is as colorful, innovative, and unique as Pharrell himself. For an idea that sounded far-fetched, the pieces snap together perfectly. Its life lessons are spelled out neatly, no heavy handedness to be found. As with any film like this it rushes through some moments in favor of others. So if you were looking for more insight into what went down between him and Chad, you won’t find it here. But that was never the goal of putting together a biopic in this way. Piece by Piece sets out to exude positivity and creativity while celebrating Pharrell Williams’ career, and it hits all the right notes.
Piece by Piece releases in theaters Oct. 11. It is rated PG for language, some suggestive material and thematic elements with a runtime of 93 minutes.
