Going into Piece By Piece, I knew who Pharrell Williams was as an artist. I mean, of course we all know “Happy” and the stronghold that catchy song had on the world, right?
But, thanks to the hugely entertaining and engaging documentary Piece By Piece, I realize I didn’t really know who Williams was as a person. I didn’t know how an ill-fitting child found his way through the world via the broad array of color he saw associated with music. I didn’t know his upbringing in Virginia Beach and the huge influence the area had on the music industry. I forgot all of the artists Williams worked with as a member of The Neptunes.
All of that is here and more but rendered visually through Legos.
Does that choice make sense? In a way, it absolutely does, particularly when Williams talks about his sound-color synesthesia. That creatively opens opportunities for director Morgan Neville to render Williams’s trademarked beats in gorgeously inventive assemblies of Lego pieces. And there’s also a certain thematic heft the Lego adoption gives to Williams’s career — he built it piece by piece as you would any Lego set.
Whether those ideas fully justify an entire documentary constructed from Lego pieces is probably up for debate. For me, it totally worked. Williams’s story, while incredibly inspiring, isn’t really the kind of music-based documentary that you traditionally expect. While there are certainly low periods in his life, the film remains mostly informational and upbeat. It’s more of a portrait of his life than a deep-seated exploration of the broader hip-hop culture, save the Virginia Beach scene.
I also had concerns that the enterprise would feel disconnected since we couldn’t see the subjects’ actual faces. Would it lessen the impact with essentially a series of voice overs? I can tell you that I definitely connected emotionally with the material and with Williams himself. There are several very engaging sequences involving his relationship with his grandmother that moved me despite the Lego artifice.
But there’s also a handful of moments that recall the Lego brand’s off-kilter sense of humor. One particularly amusing sequence involves Snoop Dogg and what is referred to as “PG Fog.” Think about it.
Piece By Piece ultimately works best as an incredibly accomplished animated film rather than a penetrating documentary. It’s one that, even if you know nothing about Pharrell Williams, you’ll come away from it with a respect for talent, community, and an investment in those who see the world a little bit differently.
Piece By Piece drops only in theaters on October 11.
