PIECE BY PIECE
Starring: Pharrell Williams, Jay-Z, Missy Elliott, Timbaland, Gwen Stefani, Justin Timberlake, Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg, N.O.R.E., Pusha T, Daft Punk, and Kendrick Lamar
Director: Morgan Neville
NICK
I love big swings, and the idea of doing an entire documentary in LEGO form is a BIG swing. Unfortunately, Piece by Piece never does anything to justify the gimmick. Much like the music in the film, the LEGO aspect feels like it's only there to distract from the fact that this is a VERY surface-level biopic. Anything serious or contentious is barely mentioned in passing, so it all comes across as a little shallow. I’m sure Pharrell Williams has an interesting story to tell; hopefully, he’s ready to tell it someday.
ADRIANO
Piece by Piece is baffling. The equivalent of a feature-length troll, this movie lacks any semblance of sincerity towards Pharrell's story, and it tries to disguise that with a questionable LEGO filter. Piece does nothing to change our perception of Pharrell, and it’s more interested in being a fluff piece with comically little about his family life or any humiliating conflict, not to mention a final ten minutes that just made me go, "No, they are not doing this!" If there is something more to Pharrell's story, this movie does a poor job showing that, and for a movie that preaches imagination, this had none.
AMARÚ
Just an FYI, this is more of a public service announcement than a review because Piece by Piece hits every part of my bias. This film is the soundtrack of my life, filled with my favorite artists. It was made for me and my people. From the first beat drop that transported me to my childhood to the chords that helped create this grown man, I got chills realizing how much one artist can shape one’s life. I would’ve been happy with a straightforward documentary, but adding LEGO’s creativity (especially how they represented a beat) kept my head nodding and my face grinning for 90-minutes straight.
This film was reviewed by Nick and Adriano as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.