“Piece by Piece” (2024) is a documentary about musician/producer Pharrell Williams’ life story using the visual animation of a Lego movie. Most Americans may recognize Pharrell for being a judge on “The Voice” or for “Happy,” a song on the “Despicable Me 2” (2013) soundtrack, but his music may have fueled the soundtrack of your life without you knowing it. This film aspires to inspire people to embrace creativity, but it also may be a veiled infomercial for Pharrell to achieve success on the big screen and erase his past public missteps.
In 2024, the bar is still low for movies involving famous musicians, especially if they are authorized. The first key to success is getting the music right. “Back to Black” (2024), the Amy Winehouse biopic, lost its senses and elected not to use the artist’s distinctive voice whereas “Bob Marley: One Love” (2024) and “I Am: Celine Dion” (2024), the best of the lot, retained the talent. Sometimes people just want a break and cannot afford to go away so unplugging, sitting in a dark theater and listening to music can be one way to escape. If you do not think that you are into Pharrell’s music or would rather talk about politics than hear “Happy” one more time, “Piece by Piece” will surprise moviegoers about his influence on such songs as No Doubt’s “Keep On Dancing” and “Hollaback Girl,” and Madonna’s “Hard Candy” album. If you listen to a group’s music without paying attention to the group’s members, then you will be surprised that Pharrell was one of the members of The Neptunes, which produced Nelly’s “Hot in Herre” and Britney Spears’ “I’m a Slave 4 U.” He was also one of the faces of N.E.R.D., who made “Rock Star.” At the very least, the waves of nostalgia will hit you, and you may find yourself dancing in your seat. No shade, but there are a few moments that may leave the average person wondering if Pharrell is not the best judge of his work such as when Pharrell mentions that Prince rejected a beat then the film plays the song, “Frontin’.” Prince is rarely wrong.
“Piece by Piece” notably omits any of the controversy surrounding Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines,” which is included in the catalogue of hits featured in the film. While a catchy song, the lyrics have been described as “rapey.” It also does not help that Thicke is allegedly a domestic abuser against his ex-wife, actor Paula Patton. In 2019, Pharrell professed that the lyrics embarrassed him, but such remarks cannot be found in the flick. Also it will be interesting to find out if Marvin Gaye’s estate will get a piece of the movie’s profits considering they won a trial court judgment that awarded $5.3 million against Thicke and Pharrell, and the appeals court upheld the decision. Perhaps it is implicit in Pharrell’s statement, “What if nothing is new? What if life is like a Lego set, and you can put it together any way you want, but you’re borrowing?” To be fair, the average artist authorized biopic usually shies away from such unpleasantness, so Pharrell fits right in. Besides most people who hear such catchy tunes are not keeping up with lawsuits or the artist’s problematic associations.
By animating using Legos, “Piece by Piece” is clever for using the popular visual language of the masses’ children. Out of the top ten grossing films of 2024, 3 are films that target families: “Inside Out 2,” “Despicable Me 4” and “Kung Fu Panda 4.” Documentaries are notorious for their lack of financial success and difficulty getting a slot at theaters accessible to most people. The average person is not going to a little theater to see a documentary. While there are quite a few bleeped out expletives, some grownups and children may believe that this movie is an acceptable compromise. By presenting a biopic as a Lego movie, it is a shameless gambit for success and who does not admire moxie.
Director and cowriter Morgan Neville, who appears as the interviewer in the form of a Lego, has made some of the most memorable and well-known documentaries such as “20 Feet from Stardom” (2013) and “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” (2018), which was better than the still powerful “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” (2019). “Piece by Piece” creates the image that Pharrell is the true creative mind behind the concept and perhaps many of the visuals. It is an innovative way of sanitizing Pharrell’s entry into the music industry, especially Snoop Dogg’s pot use and the sexual suggestiveness of many music videos such as Wreckx-N-Effect’s “Rump Shaker.” It is also a clever way to have his family appear in the movie without being identifiable. The drawback arises when famous figures without distinguishing features or a recognizable voice appear as a Lego. It will leave some viewers asking, “Who was that?” This problem is not a deal breaker since the bright and colorful film effectively evokes the emotional tone of each scene.
Once the superficial sheen of music and approachable visuals wears off, “Piece by Piece” will feel about a half hour too long. The story is very conventional and could be gleaned from reading a Wikipedia page about the artist. There is excavated insight and inspirational platitudes, but unlike “I Am: Celine Dion,” Pharrell’s story is so protective of his image and avoids delivering dishy details that the average lookie-loo eager to glean some juicy gossip will feel let down. Pharrell loves his grandma, family and friends. Unnamed A&R (artists and repertoire division of a music recording company) execs are bad, and at times, Pharrell was arrogant and lost his way, but it was nothing that a little time with his wife, whom he met at the most chaste pool party EVAH, and kids could not help. Sure. Is the Brooklyn Bridge for sale?
“Piece by Piece” saves its most controversial message at the end when Pharrell explicitly supports Black Lives Matters and condemns extrajudicial executions. This stance is a huge departure for the artist who used his Twitter platform to promote #AllLivesMatter on April 21, 2015. He also tried to make “New Black” a thing in 2014, which gave the impression that he denied systematic racism, expressed approval for Bill Cosby’s castigation of lack of respectable appearance of young Black people and criticized Michael Brown’s behavior before his death. The film omits details regarding the specific event that changed Pharrell’s heart and makes it appear as if, like the public, George Floyd’s murder had such an impact on him. On March 26, 2021, Virginia Beach Police Department allegedly shot and killed one of his cousins who allegedly brandished a handgun, and Williams called for federal investigation. Of course, it is hard for a leopard to change its spots because during a huge national election year, Pharrell stated that he is “annoyed” when celebrities endorse political candidates and “doesn’t do politics,” which appears to be inconsistent with his changed stance, especially when Presidon’t encourages unauthorized, disproportionate use of force. Can someone make a song about how politics affects everyone, especially federal investigations, so Pharrell can see it? Oh, he allegedly did: Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright.” To be fair, the credits advise, “Not everything is accurate. For instance, Pharrell never went to space.”
If these philosophical and moral inconsistencies do not bother you, and you are having a bad day, “Piece by Piece” is the kind of movie that you can turn your brain off and just watch without any serious demands on your attention. It offers a coherent, understandable, consistent albeit bland narrative with vibrant visuals. Its best feature is tying iconic musical hits to an artist that should keep his day job with a fixer nearby to ensure that he keeps his foot out of his wallet. Side effects may include playing “Happy” on repeat.
