Director: Kornel Mundruczo

Cast: Vanessa Kirby, Shia LaBeouf, Iliza Shlesinger, Ellen Burstyn, Molly Parker

Language: English

The first 30 odd minutes of Pieces of a Woman are excruciating to watch. We get a sense of what is to come, but the details are panned out for us to take in… and it is a LOT to take in. Pieces of a Woman is aptly titled. In this extraordinary film, we do get to see pieces of a woman, literally and figuratively, as she unravels from the loss of her just-born child. Death of a baby. And what it does to a woman is what this drama is all about.

The film kicks off without any fuss. We see a young couple, Martha and Sean, preparing to welcome their child into the world. Martha (Vanessa Kirby) starts her maternity leave and Sean (Shia LaBeouf), a construction worker, wants to build a bridge before his baby arrives. The couple prepare for a home birth. As Martha starts reeling under a difficult labour, Sean scrambles around trying to be of help. Their trusted midwife is unable to make it and another woman Eva (Molly Parker) steps in. But fate takes a turn for the worse, and the child dies soon after being born. Pieces of a Woman tells us in detail the aftermath of this tragedy. Soon there are calls for a criminal suit against Eva and there is a parallel set of events that talk about home birthing and its effects.

As Martha slowly recovers from her ordeal, we see her raw and vulnerable. And this is where Vanessa Kirby makes an impression. She seems to be an actor who refuses to let vulnerability scare her. Kirby shows us the physical pain and the agony of labour and the mental trauma of losing her child. She gives us a stellar performance (maybe even a career best) within moments of the film’s beginning. Struggle is an understatement for what she goes through and her raw emotions are in display. This drama surely puts Kirby as one of the frontrunners for an Oscar nomination. Shia LaBeouf does a great job of the role of an expectant father. The scenes where he breaks down in front of his partner are beautifully portrayed with no gender bias.

Pieces of a Woman shows us dirty dishes, unkempt relationships and apple seeds that sprout. Small moments make up a large part of this film. A case in point is when Martha’s mother played by Ellen Burstyn gives money to Sean and asks him to disappear. There is no drama, shouts of anger or disappointment. Sean, grappling with mistrust and grief, quietly leaves. The courtroom sequence though short has its impact. Pieces of a Woman shows us there is no playbook for grief and closure. Screenplay by Kata Weber is practical yet hard-hitting. Music by Howard Shore transports us to Martha’s life.

It is in the monotony of routine that Martha finds herself lost in. And as she struggles to make her peace with her loss, she also understands that answers can be found only from herself. The climax is a beautiful reminder of the beauty of birth in all forms… be it a massive apple tree or a child that seeks its fruits.

I both love it and hate it when a film wears me out. I love it because I know it is honest and passionate cinema. And I hate it because I know the intensity of a movie is going to keep me awake at nights. Pieces of a Woman for me was a beautifully constructed and intense film that is bound to keep me awake at nights for some time now.

Rating: 3/5