Piece by Piece

Depicting one’s life story with LEGO pieces might sound crazy, but for Pharrell Williams it was the only way – employing a medium that could mirror his musical career and creative spirit, defying all genre trappings and allowing audiences to be transported to wonderful places with limitless possibilities. Through Pharrell’s LEGO-rendered first-hand account, Oscar winner Morgan Neville’s (Twenty Feet from Stardom; Won’t You Be My Neighbor?) documentary first takes us to the artist’s childhood home in Virginia Beach, where his love of music first began. Piecing together his journey, from a teenage musician playing in a garage to international superstar gracing the biggest stages, we’re guided through Pharrell’s incredibly prolific and storied career, which includes his work in the band N.E.R.D. and as part of the producing duo The Neptunes (beautifully showcased in a head-spinning sequence of hits that reminds us how wide their influence stretches).

The film also encompasses his solo endeavours, as well as collaborations with Kendrick Lamar and Daft Punk. Pictured through Neville’s sensitive gaze and featuring interviews with a star-studded LEGO-rendered cast that includes Jay-Z, Missy Elliott, Gwen Stefani, Busta Rhymes and Snoop Dogg, this is an exuberant, inventive and refreshingly self-aware celebration of creativity.

Diana Cipriano

Content warning

Contains flashing images.

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