Piece by Piece – Does a Documentary Portrayed Through Legos Work?

As a huge fan of Legos and the musical works of Pharrell Williams, I was thrilled to go to the theaters and watch “Piece by Piece.” The idea of a documentary about a person’s life portrayed by Legos stood out and I had to go check it out and see if it was worth the hype.

“Piece by Piece” is a documentary about musician and producer Pharrell Williams famously known for songs like chart-topper “Happy” (2013) or his features on songs like Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky.”

Williams started off as a kid who was growing up in Virginia Beach and felt like he was always the odd one out. He describes his relationship with music as mesmerizing and described that he would see colors whenever he listened.

He was friends with other artists like Missy Elliott and his cousin, Timbaland, growing up with them in Virginia. He formed an “R&B-type” group named the Neptunes with his close friend Chad Hugo and two other friends.

They were discovered at a school talent show by Teddy Riley, a famous producer, and Williams’ career shot off from there. He went on to produce records for artists like Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Madonna, and even Snoop Dogg.

In the movie, you see the progression of Williams’ life as a musician and the hard lessons that he learns during his rise to fame. This movie also addresses topics such as racial inequality, even including a powerful scene where Williams reflects on modern society and police brutality.

Unlike the rest of the movie, which is lighthearted and full of colorful animation, this scene is shown in black and white with quiet music and more dramatics showing the seriousness of the topic. The scene features a song created by Williams and Kendrick Lamar titled “Alright.”

It only made sense to include this song in the film as it was a song produced by Williams himself and the song has a history of being associated with previous protest movements.

This movie was directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville, who was ecstatic about bringing this idea to life.

“As soon as Pharrell said ‘LEGO,’ I knew that this would be a mountain to climb, and I like climbing mountains. I don’t think anyone has ever made a film quite like this,” Neville said to POV Magazine.

Neville has created multiple films including “20 Feet From Stardom” which is another well-acclaimed documentary. This one however, he described as a completely different experience because he was able to tell more of a story visually as opposed to having to use more dialogue.

The visuals of this movie were nothing short of amazing, with lots of eye-catching colors and details. Each celebrity was designed in Lego form to look like their musician persona.

Williams spoke about his documentary on Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show divulging why he decided to take the route to tell his story through Legos. He detailed that he didn’t think that a traditional documentary would fit the purpose he was trying to accomplish.

He didn’t want the documentary to be about the story of his life, so much as the creative processes that went into his musical career. He also wanted to use this movie to inspire people to do what they want in life.

“Whether you’re 8 or 80 years old, it’s never too late,” he said, “and actually, now is a better word than never.”

One interesting fact he mentioned in this interview was that all the celebrities who were interviewed for the documentary were not told that they were going to be made in Lego form to keep what they were saying as authentic as possible.

Williams also came out with a new song titled “Piece by Piece” which he plays in the second half of the film, and focuses on the idea that hard work pays off and his progression of putting the “pieces” together towards his success.

This movie is still playing in some local theaters and I would definitely recommend it if you are looking for an inspirational pick-me-up.