Pieces of a Woman

Exceptional acting, writing and cinematography. Generally a plot line that wouldn't be in my must watch list but it was very impressive anyways.

“She smelt like an apple”.

Man, what a movie.

Please avoid reading up any synopsis for this movie and instead go in blind if you can. However, I must warn you that this movie is a hard pill to swallow, in terms of its subject matter. Without spoiling anything, the movie is about grief and how that can affect a person and a relationship. It may be distressing for some and may leave you feeling blue, but it’s so powerful you won’t forget it. Worth seeing just for the directing, acting, and story.

I wasn’t prepared for it and I think you shouldn’t be too.

The movie begins with a stressful and devastating 30-minute-long scene that perfectly sets up the tone for the movie. It’s very rare for me to say “oh sh*t!” out load while watching a movie. People have said that the movie quickly deflates after that, but I don’t agree. After something as huge as that opening, the rest takes a much slower pace that effectively allows the audience to examine closely on the characters during the worst period of their lives.

Vanessa Kirby delivers a performance that I would describe as haunting. Out of all the performances I’ve seen from her (so far), this is by far her best, as this movie really showcases her range as an actor. She really sank her teeth into the role and every bit of emotion she conveyed throughout the movie, loud or quiet, was incredibly believable. From her role as Princess Margaret in the hit TV show ‘The Crown’ and now this movie, I can safely say I’m a fan of Vanessa Kirby.

The rest of the supporting cast were all equally terrific. Shia LaBeouf, despite being a controversial figure recently, also delivers a fantastic performance. It was more grounded and less showy than his other roles. Ellen Burstyn is an amazing actor, and this movie reminds us of that. The scenes between her and Kirby were the highlights of the movie. One scene reminded of Burstyn’s heart-breaking monologue from ‘Requiem for a Dream’. Just from her facial expressions alone, the sadness and the worry, have implanted itself into my head.

The cinematography from Benjamin Loeb is really well shot and the camera work is almost like a character itself. There are plenty of long takes throughout the movie as the camera would sometimes flow between or around the characters, which made the scenes feel personal and real.

My only issue with the was the score from Howard Shore as I felt it was lacking in some scenes. At times I didn’t think music was really needed for certain scenes. Not a terrible score by any means, but very disappointing and nothing special. And that’s really it for issues.

Overall rating: ‘Pieces of a Woman’ is a beautiful character-driven story that emotionally wrecked me. A hard movie to recommend for obvious reasons. It’s a challenging movie that demands your patience as the story steadily moves along the emotional turmoil. It doesn’t hold anything back when it comes to presenting the honest truth of its subject matter, but I think that’s what made it so powerful for me. Difficult to watch, but I believe that’s the point.

It's slow but very well acted. A decent, sad, depressing art house film that I never want to see again.

My Ratings

10 - I love it, regardless of quality
9 - Very good, might not love but very well done or might love, forgiving some issues
8 - Very enjoyable or Just OK for me but well done
7 - Good
6 - Watchable despite not liking the film/show
5 - Mid
3-4 - Not great, but got through it
1-2 - Very bad/You might be a communist if you like this garbage

Interesting drama raising several topics like how to live through a trauma; how a pair can survive after groundbreaking events; parents vs children; homebirth. I was also impressed by the first scene of this movie. I only wish there were much more details of interaction between the 2 main characters, because key aspects of their relationship are not clear

I think the end was a little weak but man, what a movie! A bit shocking, maybe dark. I liked it.

The acting by Vanessa Kirby was amazing! I think she really captures the grief of a parent really well. I think the film does a good part in showing that people grieve in different ways, and that can cause people to drift away from each other. I would've liked Shia LaBeouf's character fleshed out more, but I understand this is supposed to be the mom's story for the most part. I think the film takes a detour with the final climax towards the end, but overall pretty good.

Ok i like the movie,but why no one cares about the father pain? Is like nobody gives a shit about the father pain.

[Netflix] When the director and actresses work together, the film achieves a heartbreaking emotional height. This is what happens in the initial scene of labor, a tense, moving, absorbing moment. But when the script takes center stage, the emotional charge is blurred into obvious symbologies, banal references and unnecessary characters (especially, the male ones, drowned out by stereotypes). Fortunately, Vanessa Kirby and Ellen Burstyn's performances are superb.

Had the entire movie been as captivating and beautiful as the first 30 minutes, it would have earned a 10/10 from me.

The performances in this film, especially by Vanessa Kirby and Ellen Burstyn, are a masterclass in acting. The emotional intensity of the subject matter is relentless and exhausting. Ellen Burstyn has a monologue that will never leave you. Despite the 10 out of 10 performances, this is not a movie I would watch twice and, indeed, I was hesitant to get lost in it the first time as I knew it would be an emotional marathon. Not an easy watch. On the balance, I give this film a 7 (good) out of 10. [Drama]