‘Piece By Piece’ Offers A Unique Look Into The Life Of Producer Pharrell Williams
The mood of his hit song "Happy" shines through the entire film.
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Subscribe for free to get more stories like this directly to your inboxFrom his work with the Neptunes to his collaborations with various music industry legends to his multi-generational hit “Happy,” almost everybody is somewhat familiar with Pharrell Williams’ work.
But if you want to know more about the man behind a seemingly endless line of catchy tunes, your best bet might be to check out the latest Lego movie.
Building the narrative
There’s been a cinematic trend in recent years to recreate popular film franchises using Lego bricks instead of human actors or traditional animation. But using this strategy to make documentaries was understandably never a popular pursuit.
If there’s one subject that could change that, it would probably be the life of Pharrell Williams.
Early reviews of “Piece By Piece,” which made its debut in theaters last night, describe its playful presentation as a perfect portrayal of Williams’ colorful and upbeat influence within the entertainment industry.
And the Lego aspect isn’t just an afterthought. Individual bricks and other elements of this alternate universe are integrated into the plotline with purpose, making this a more visually interesting experience than most documentaries.
One particularly compelling scene depicted Williams’ trip around the world by recreating iconic landmarks in those familiar interlocking toy bricks.
A hit-and-miss script
Most of the first impressions have been good, particularly about the visual aspect of the film. When it comes to the story itself, however, that’s more of a mixed bag. Some say it’s not as creative or innovative as the filmmaking would suggest. It has also attracted criticism from those who think it skimmed over some important, if uncomfortable, aspects of Williams’ life.
Others, however, applauded the film’s ability to weave a cohesive narrative using such an atypical medium.
In the end, it seems clear that this PG-rated film is geared toward the widest audience possible.
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