Movie Review: Piece by Piece
Piece by Piece reimagines the biographical documentary and brings the story Pharrell Williams to life in a unique and family-friendly manner.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3ZVogXKQbUgUUaqpJfdJZG?si=9uVfYtG9TeGA9fDGL4oOsw
The biographical documentary is something that we see a lot of and they rarely bring anything new to the table. Usually, they're pretty paint-by-numbers and are almost always designed to be puff pieces to promote the subject in a positive light (not that there's always something bad being hidden to be clear). Piece by Piece turns this on its head with its wildly imaginative use of LEGO as the storytelling medium that allows for everything said to be visualized, no matter how hyperbolic.
For those of us who had the music of Pharrell Williams as a background radiation of their life, if not were active fans of his work, this is a fantastic trip down memory lane. There is also a vulnerability that Pharrell Williams displays when he discusses the impact of his fame and the impact of his work on people which makes him relatable and grounded, even as the documentary makes him out to be this larger-than-life character.
Watch Piece by Piece in a theater, not just in a theater but on the largest screen possible. I saw this on a Dolby screen, which is probably the best way to experience this film. It's likely that this film gets nominated for at least three Academy Awards (Best Original Song, Best Documentary Feature, and Best Animated Feature) though we will evaluate the odds of it winning each at the end of the year.
★★★★★
Piece by Piece
Directed by: Morgan Neville
Written by: Morgan Neville, Oscar Vazquez, and Aaron Wickenden
Starring: Pharrell Williams, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani, Jay-Z
Rating: PG
Release Date: October 11th, 2024
