Piece by Piece
Piece By Piece is playing in theaters at the time of writing. Rated PG. Common Sense says 9.
A biopic unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. The story of Pharrell’s fantastic life and music career, told in the language of Lego.
STORY: B
A colorful, inspirational tale of determination and the power of being yourself.
A film where we watch famous folks tell us stories about Pharrell might be interesting. But I’m not sure it would be entertaining or terribly memorable.
Luckily, we watch the events and recollections brought to dazzling life through the unlikely decision to make this an animated Lego film. It’s a pitch perfect example of storytelling’s most powerful rule: “Show Don’t Tell.”
PEOPLE: A-
Pharrell holds a fascinating spot in pop culture.
Pharrell built a career by carving out his path through the music industry in a way that no one had ever done before. After watching the film, I’m not sure there’s ever been a song he hasn’t had at least a finger in making. It’s an epic soundtrack.
Note: there should be a YouTube channel devoted to nothing but celebrities rendered in the Lego minifigure format.
FILM NERD STUFF: A
8K video resolution couldn’t tell this story more accurately, or appropriately.
Legos are the language of childhood. The plastic bricks act like a voice filter that sounds like a little kid. His story sounds like it’s literally being told by nine year old Pharrell. Watching his life play out in this way feels like stepping into a time machine.
The Legos also soften material that might be too much for youngsters (such as various bikini clad dancers, a stirring Black Lives Matter protest, and Snoop’s … pharmaceutical endeavors) who will benefit from the film’s many inspirational ideas.
ONE BIG LESSON: A
Find your spot, find your people, and make each other’s dreams come true.
I’m sure Pharrell possesses a crazy amount lot of natural talent. But I think it’s more likely than not that we would have never heard of him if he hadn’t grown up in the neighborhood he did. Or the city he did. Or if he hadn’t joined band in middle school. His surroundings were the soil that allowed the Pharrell we all know now to grow.
Your surroundings can nurture you or subdue you. It’s not always easy (and in some cases it’s simply not possible) for people to choose their environments. But as much as you are able to, find the place that will support your dreams. Spend as much of your time there as you can.
FINAL COMMENTS:
Pharrell shares his creative philosophy early in the film: everything is already out there, just waiting to be combined in new ways. Piece by Piece follows Pharrells’ philosophy to dazzling results.
The combination of Morgan Neville’s filmmaking ability, Pharrell’s relentless creativity, and Legos has brought forth something brand new and exciting.
Kids will eat up the bitesize, easy to digest life lessons. Parents will bop their heads to the neverending train of Pharrell jams. Hopefully, it will teach all of us how to build beautiful, brand new worlds out of the pieces we see right in front of us.