The newly-released documentary Piece by Piece has already captured critics’ attention with its unusual storytelling approach: an entirely animated portrayal of musician Pharrell Williams, crafted in Lego.
This creative leap has garnered praise for its “disarmingly joyous” and “oddly charming” visual style.
However, some critics question the omission of one notable aspect of Pharrell’s career—the controversy surrounding “Blurred Lines,” the hit song he co-wrote with Robin Thicke.
The film includes a brief segment of “Blurred Lines” on its soundtrack but makes no mention of the infamous plagiarism lawsuit.
In 2015, Pharrell and Thicke were ordered to pay $5 million to Marvin Gaye’s estate for copying the “sound and feel” of Gaye’s classic “Got to Give It Up.”
Although some see the case as a landmark decision, many creatives consider it a problematic precedent that conflates influence with infringement.
Piece by Piece director Morgan Neville, known for his Oscar-winning documentary 20 Feet from Stardom, discussed the decision to sidestep the controversy.
He explained to the BBC that while he initially wanted to address it, adding the sequence disrupted the narrative flow he sought.
“I even interviewed Robin Thicke,” Neville shared. “But every time I tried to work in a scene about copyright law, it felt like it belonged in a different movie.”
Despite its absence in the documentary, the Blurred Lines lawsuit remains significant within the music industry, highlighting tensions between inspiration and plagiarism.
Neville, however, emphasized that Pharrell’s story was more compelling without revisiting the trial.
“It’s not like Pharrell learned a big lesson from the case.
I don’t think it changed him in any way,” Neville noted, reinforcing his commitment to a cohesive storyline rather than a complete historical record.
The documentary’s concept originated with Pharrell himself, who pitched it to Neville as a Lego project, hoping to offer a fresh perspective on his life and career.
“When Pharrell said ‘Lego movie,’ I thought, ‘Hell, yeah!’” Neville recalls.
Though initially surprised, Neville quickly embraced the idea, transforming Pharrell’s story into a vibrant world where Lego’s flexibility allowed for imaginative scenes, from time-travel to cosmic exploration.
Creating the film involved securing Lego’s support as a partner rather than a financier, allowing creative freedom while touching on themes of race and identity.
A 90-second proof of concept convinced Lego of the project’s potential, featuring Pharrell listening to Stevie Wonder as a child and experiencing synesthesia—a sensory experience that translates sounds into vivid colors and shapes.
The film dives into Pharrell’s creative evolution, visually depicting his beats as Lego sculptures—each uniquely shaped to mirror the abstract process of songwriting.
Neville collaborated closely with Pharrell to accurately capture the colors and shapes the artist envisioned in his mind for each beat.
Interviews with other artists, including Missy Elliott, Jay-Z, and Snoop Dogg, were conducted years ago, keeping the Lego adaptation under wraps until their minifigures were revealed.
Piece by Piece explores Pharrell’s journey from an outsider to an iconic music producer, focusing on his struggle to balance mainstream success with authenticity.
Neville saw parallels with his own career, drawn to Pharrell’s story as a “black nerd from the projects of Virginia” who created an unorthodox sound that eventually reshaped pop music.
The film captures Pharrell’s efforts to rediscover his muse amid an industry eager to commercialize his originality.
Also read: Megan Fox And Machine Gun Kelly Expecting First Child Together
