TIFF 2024: Piece by Piece Review

This will be one of many reviews during this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, to keep up with our latest coverage, click here.

Pharrell Williams is one of the most creative minds in music, the writer, singer, and producer is responsible for some of the biggest hits ever. A larger-than-life figure in the industry, he is a more than worthy candidate for the documentary treatment. Cue Piece by Piece, not just any documentary but rather, an animated documentary using Lego to explore the vast mind of Williams. Fielding some truly beautiful animation, it is arguably more of a show than the content of the film itself. While fans of Williams, and director Morgan Neville, will definitely get a kick out of this, it doesn’t bring much to the table as its superficial approach fails to dive into its subject with the most depth. That being said, his story stands out not just for what he has done, but also what he represented. Ultimately, the choice to use Lego was an appropriate one as the famed building blocks made to be a creative outlet for generations fits Williams’ creative mind. Running just over the 90-minute mark, it may leave some audiences wanting more. However, in spite of its issues, it is a good time to be had.

The latest from Morgan Neville, a documentary director known for such works as 2013’s Twenty Feet from Stardom and 2018’s Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, this one is clearly a little different. Shooting a regular documentary, that film is then taken to animators so it could be animated in the world of Lego. Fairly conventional in terms of a documentary, the film follows his trajectory from his humble beginnings as a musically-inclined kid from Virginia who wanted to be a singer and performer to pivoting into one of the most high-demand music producers working today. However, as he found success, it would come at a cost. Featuring interviews with Williams and the prominent figures from his life and career, it was certainly interesting to see how it all came together but it could have done so much more. As mentioned, the Lego animation is arguably more of a show than the documentary itself. There is an undeniable charm to it that is fun to watch as it adds some color to his story, bringing his creative imagination to life while taking Lego animation to another level.

For a film about an icon in music, it delivered some great original music as well. Created by Williams himself, they, along with the animation, they lean more into its whimsical nature. Listening to the evolution of his music across his career and the impact of his work on other artists and their careers made for an engaging journey. In the end, more performative than substantial, Piece by Piece is an interesting documentary that attempts a different approach that will entertain but fails to work as a whole.

 still courtesy of Focus Features

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.