PREMISE
A vibrant journey through the life of Pharrell Williams told through the lens of LEGO animation.
I don’t necessarily know how to apply my usual formatting to a review of PIECE BY PIECE. This movie is very one-note, and there’s not much to dissect about what kind of biopic it is.
(And yes, this is a biopic and not really a children’s movie per se. There’s not, like, a bunch of adult content sprinkled throughout this or anything like that, but there are a couple of s-bombs thrown here and there unexpectedly, and also, some of the songs that Pharrell Williams is known for are heavily profane, and bleeped out in this movie for obvious reasons).
For those unaware, Pharrell Williams is basically the Mozart of hip-hop and is a very eclectic individual. His story is both inspirational… and very basic. Technically speaking, this is a very unique man with a basic story. However, the emphasis on joy makes PIECE BY PIECE special. This is a movie that, above all, wishes to emphasize how music plays a part in the joy we feel as human beings. No matter what kind of person we are, music emphasizes our joyful moments as human beings. There are a couple of heavy emotional moments throughout this film, and it’s not because of anything tragic or sad. It is because of the incredibly moving relatability of these joyful moments that this movie emphasizes through music… And LEGO.
Yes, it is an odd choice to make a biopic with all LEGO. But it makes sense for this guy to do it in this way. The LEGO-ing of the proceedings makes things a lot funnier (the LEGO modelings of a lot of these music icons are pretty funny) and a lot easier to digest. I don’t think this movie would make more sense if it was done live-action. It actually makes more sense done in this way, believe it or not.
I’m glad I saw PIECE BY PIECE while having a terrible day. It was heartwarming enough to get me out of my stupor and end my day on a high note. It’s fun, adorable, moving, and, of course, has an amazing soundtrack that should be heard in a movie theater’s sound system. If you are a hip-hop fan of my generation, then you will like this – once you get past the strangeness of it all.
PIECE BY PIECE is in theaters now
