Morgan Neville’s Pharrell Williams Documentary Inspires Wonder and Questions

In Piece by Piece, Morgan Neville (Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, 20 Feet from Stardom) attempts to break the mold of traditional celebrity documentaries using a unique tool: LEGOs. Yes, you read that right—LEGOs.

Premiering at Telluride before its theatrical release on October 11 by Focus Features, Piece by Piece tells the life story of Pharrell Williams through intricately designed LEGO animations. Pharrell, known for his buoyant irreverence, seems a fitting subject for such an imaginative approach. The film chronicles his journey from his childhood in Virginia Beach to his successful music career, emphasizing how Pharrell has never been confined by labels.

Despite its creativity, Neville’s documentary does fall into some of the same traps that celebrity documentaries often do, marked by a certain hagiographic tone. Nonetheless, Piece by Piece seems designed to appeal to a younger audience, enhanced by the popularity of The Lego Movie.

The liveliest segments of Piece by Piece cover Pharrell’s upbringing in Virginia Beach. Using LEGO animations provides a vivid depiction of life in the Atlantis Apartments, a housing project that deeply influenced him. The LEGO blocks also ingeniously illustrate Williams’ synesthesia, a neurological condition causing him to see colors and patterns when he hears music.

Pharrell’s unique sensibilities made him seem odd to others, an issue compounded when he started school. His struggles led him to repeat a grade, yet his family remained supportive. Interviews with his parents supplement Neville’s own conversation with Pharrell, offering more context.

Pharrell found his place through music, encouraged by his grandmother, who bought him his first drum kit and took him to church. Through music classes, he met Chad Hugo, his future Neptunes partner. The duo’s jam sessions epitomized their eclectic tastes and experiences, marking the start of Pharrell’s illustrious career.

One of the strengths of Piece by Piece is how LEGO animation delves into Pharrell’s creative process. With dynamic editing by Jason Zeldes, Aaron Wickenden, and Oscar Vazquez, viewers get glimpses into how Pharrell’s mind works. His discussions on matching beats to artists and finding the perfect sound to complete a track affirm his genius. Even sounds from a spray paint can could inspire him. The documentary also features five original songs by Pharrell, complementing Michael Andrews’ vibrant score.

From Snoop Dogg’s “Drop it Like It’s Hot” to Britney Spears’ “I’m a Slave 4 U,” Pharrell and Hugo, as the Neptunes, produced numerous chart-toppers in the late ’90s and early 2000s. Interviews with industry giants like Timbaland, Missy Elliott, Snoop Dogg, and Jay Z provide energetic anecdotes that add depth to Pharrell’s story as an emerging producer.

However, when Piece by Piece turns to Pharrell’s later years, it starts to resemble more conventional celebrity documentaries. The LEGO animation can’t fully disguise the narrative thinness in these sections.

There are still emotional moments, such as Pharrell’s admission of how early success inflated his ego, causing him to alienate friends. He also speaks candidly about reclaiming himself through producing for Kendrick Lamar and writing “Happy” for Despicable Me 2. Such honest portrayals might have benefitted from some live footage.

At 90 minutes, Piece by Piece moves swiftly, leaving some questions unanswered. The documentary touches upon Pharrell’s estrangement and reconciliation with Hugo and hints at his creatively fallow years but doesn’t delve deeply into them. While inspiring, Piece by Piece doesn’t always bring us as close to Pharrell as one might hope.

Source: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter