As a seasoned movie buff with decades of experience under my belt, I’ve seen my fair share of celebrity documentaries – some good, some bad, and a whole lot of meh. But when it comes to “Piece by Piece,” I can’t help but feel like I’m watching a Lego set being put together by a child with too many instructions and not enough imagination.
In the beginning of the animated documentary Piece by Piece, Pharrell Williams, the music artist and producer, discusses why the film’s setting is a world made of Lego bricks. Essentially, he talks about how he’s been contemplating the idea of creating something novel from pre-existing items, likening it to the universe being like a Lego set with everyone working with similar basic elements and hues. However, he proposes to director Morgan Neville that their film should be made entirely of Lego because it offers “unlimited colors,” which seems to contradict his initial point. After a short while watching Piece by Piece, it becomes clear that the movie’s style isn’t due to deep thematic connections between Pharrell’s life and Lego, but as an attempt to add some visual intrigue to what is, even for celebrity docs, rather monotonous and uninteresting material.
In this current time, there’s an abundance of films about renowned musicians that are being produced by those very musicians or their record labels. However, labeling these as ‘movies’ might not accurately describe them, as many of them function more like bonus materials from albums, elevated to the main event. These productions are primarily for fans who have already invested in the artist’s career. Rather than independent projects, they represent the latest work from someone whose artistry they’ve supported. They serve as brand preservation rather than portraits, offering controlled glimpses of vulnerability amidst the myth-building.
The fact that Pharrell Williams has not one but two movies being made about him might make you exclaim, “Perhaps not everyone deserves a film dedicated to their life.” However, it’s Pharrell who is getting this double treatment. Michel Gondry is currently wrapping up a musical based on Pharrell’s childhood in Virginia Beach, promising an even more fantastical portrayal if (hopefully) less contrived. The issue with Piece by Piece, though, isn’t that Pharrell’s life lacks achievements – he undeniably impacted the musical landscape of the 21st century – but his ineptitude at storytelling. The film drags through his life as if it’s checking off items from a Wikipedia entry, yet there’s no distinction between significant and insignificant events. There are moments one wishes the movie would linger on, such as the period when Pharrell, Hugo, Timbaland, and Missy Elliott were all teenagers together, and others that could have been omitted, like his collaborations with various corporations. In Pharrell’s narrative, supported by a star-studded lineup of additional interviews, events simply occur. There are no peaks and valleys, just peaks, and it’s apparent that the filmmakers didn’t aim or felt uncomfortable delving into any topic that might cause unease. When the film finally attempts to introduce conflict, its best effort is to imply that Pharrell was under a hypnotic spell by a group of men in suits, causing him to overfocus on focus testing.
Remaining is the essence of it all, which encourages creativity and whimsy, as well as absurdity at its peak. It’s slightly unsettling to notice the muscular abs on mini-figure Gwen Stefani, but the Lego recreation of the video for Wreckx-n-Effect’s “Rump Shaker” (which Pharrell penned the Teddy Riley verse for) is charming, as is witnessing someone’s reaction to first listening to the Neptunes’ work visualized by their disintegration into parts. Although Neville conducted most of his interviews via Zoom or audio, the film animates them all to give the impression they are in person, even including common documentary tropes such as the camera focusing in and out, or starting with someone setting up before speaking. There’s no doubt that being in Lego makes Piece by Piece more visually engaging than a typical talking-heads-and-archival approach, but it also doesn’t take long for the gimmick to become limiting. When Pharrell meets Snoop Dogg for the first time, the encounter takes place in a mist of “PG spray” from a can, a playful joke that makes you wonder if the reason for this sanitizing gesture is due to children potentially watching this self-indulgent project, or because cleanliness is required by Lego. Despite its mildness, Piece by Piece is a film about a 51-year-old man, and when it portrays mini-figures participating in Black Lives Matter protests, it can cause momentary confusion. Such are the risks of committing to a theme – though for Piece by Piece, the theme is essentially all the film offers.
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2024-10-11 17:54