REVIEW: ‘Piece By Piece’ Knows How To Put It All Together

The sentence “A Pharrell Williams documentary animated entirely in LEGO” is not necessarily a sentence that computes. Yet, Piece by Piece, written and directed by award-winning documentarian Morgan Neville, works. And it works well. It has all the right pieces and puts them together just right to build an exciting and impressive movie for Pharell fans and casual moviegoers alike.

The movie starts on a confusing cold open that’s supposed to help orient the viewer to the LEGO reality of the movie. Piece by Piece is styled like a one-on-one interview between Pharrell and Morgan, with most of the movie done in voiceover by Pharrell and interstitched with interviews with his many friends, family, and collaborators. But instead of over-investing in the opening scene’s kitschiness as it over-explains the LEGOness of it all to you, just trust that everything will click into place on its own pretty quickly after that.

The LEGO animation medium is truly Piece by Piece’s greatest asset. LEGO is an instantly recognizable brand. Probably much more so than Pharrell Williams himself. LEGO is synonymous with joy, fun, and playfulness. So, as soon as the movie kicks in and you become awash in beautiful animation, it almost doesn’t matter that the movie is about a real person. It’s immediately a fun atmosphere with great music and really good humor telling a story about a kid from Virginia Beach who turned his big dreams in the music industry into a reality alongside his friends.

Quite simply, Piece by Piece would not work if it were animated in any other medium. Pharrell’s story is incredible and entertaining, but the LEGO elevates it from an upbeat hagiography into an underdog story anybody can see themselves in. Playing with a LEGO universe means that when the storytelling rules are broken, it makes perfect sense, and when things are depicted in LEGO form you would never have dreamed of seeing in a LEGO movie, they’re much funnier.

Whether you’re already a fan of Pharrell or know about his story in the music industry, Piece by Piece is a superbly-told tale. The movie does an excellent job telling us exactly who Pharrell is from a young age so that every up and down in the movie feels like it’s about a real character. But also, his meteoric rise in the industry over several decades is practically unparalleled. While Pharrell made this movie himself, and it is obviously overly sympathetic towards him (Snoop Dogg himself cracks a perfect joke about this), it doesn’t matter. The movie is so entertaining and well-paced that you’re constantly excited to discover what massive success or breakdown Pharrell endures next.

The extensive cast of friends, family, and collaborators who participated in the movie clearly reflects how beloved he truly is. You can’t fake being friends with Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, and your best friends from high school. Every single interview is entertaining and enlightening. Even the folks who maybe aren’t quite sure that they’re in a movie are perfectly animated to fit their interviews into the film naturally. It’s a testament to Neville’s skill as a filmmaker that this mostly scripted movie often feels fairly off the cuff.

The only issue is when he can’t get himself out of the way. Every time the movie cuts back to the frame story and Pharrell and Morgan speak to each other, it cuts in with an awkwardly timed and not especially funny joke. Most of the time, these moments also cut off some of the biggest emotional peaks, which is frustrating. It’s like the movie is afraid to let the audience sit with their or Pharrell’s feelings about anything too serious for too long. There are several tear-worthy scenes in Piece by Piece, and it’s a shame the movie won’t let you sit with those moments for very long.

Piece by Piece is a surprising triumph. It’s proof that creativity and passion still go a long way in making movies feel fresh, even in unexpected mediums. Whether you know much about Pharrell Williams’ history, prepare to be wildly impressed and entertained by the movie’s personalities, needle drops, and LEGO antics.

Piece by Piece is playing in theaters everywhere on October 11th.