Pieces of a Woman movie review

MOVIE TITLE:   Pieces of a Woman

Available on January 7, 2021, on Netflix

RATING:  R

LENGTH:   2 hours, 6 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE:   B+

IN A NUTSHELL:

This heartbreaking movie shines a painful spotlight on childbirth and what happens when something goes wrong.  The film is written by Kata Weber and directed by her life partner, Kornel Mundruczo.  This is the English language debut of the Hungarian director.

Head’s up:  If you’ve had a recent miscarriage, it might be too soon for you to watch this emotionally draining film.  I had several miscarriages many years ago and it still hurt my heart to watch the movie.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

• Profanity and F-bombs
• Kids will be bored
• You see a woman in labor with her big belly
• Drugs, alcohol, smoking
• Infidelity insinuated

THEMES:

• Grief and loss
• PTSD
• Motherhood
• Supporting others through grief and struggle
• Sensitivity to what people are going through
• Physical and emotional healing
• Judging others
• Tough love vs. compassion
• Marriage and infidelity
• Justice and mercy
• Litigious society
• Midwives
• Homebirth vs. hospital delivery
• Forgiveness
• Family

THINGS I LIKED:

• Vanessa Kirby is absolutely fantastic.  Her emotional performance is already earning Oscar buzz and being described as career-defining.
• I know Shia LaBeouf has had his ups and downs with his personal life, but he is one of the best young actors out there today.  I’m such a fan.
• Ellen Burstyn’s scorching performance is so powerful that you’ll want to scream.
• I just wanted to smack Sarah Snook’s character.
• Who knew there was so much burping involved in childbirth?
• The movie just dives right in and doesn’t even show the title card until 30 minutes after one of the most intense opening scenes in years.
• The title of the movie is clever on several levels.
• An empty crib is one of the saddest things to see.
• I was surprised to see comedienne Iliza Shlesinger in the film only because I’ve never seen her act in a dramatic role before.
• I adore uncut shots that look like one take.  There were MANY of them in the movie.
• I loved the detail of how Martha (Vanessa Kirby’s character) tried to grow seeds after her loss.  It may seem like a cliched symbol, but it’s exactly how a woman feels after losing a baby because of the intense desire to nurture something.  After my second miscarriage, I adopted two kittens.  I’m so grateful to a supportive and patient husband who went along with it while my heart recovered.
• It may be a stretch, but I also saw symbolism in Eve and the apple as a woman’s natural desire to have children.
• In a 2006 study by The Compassionate Friends, parental divorce was found to be around 16% following the death of a child.  Another study showed divorce rates as high as 40% after a stillbirth.  I loved that the movie showed us how the couple’s loss affected their marriage, but particularly, the father.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

• Sections of the movie were given dates on the screen.  Other than helping us to see the passage of time, I kept wondering if it meant something more significant.  What I did think was interesting was the position of the bridge in the image and what that might mean as the story progressed.
• No humor.  Just pure drama and constant sadness.
• The first 30 minutes of the movie have an intensity and energy that the rest of the film simply couldn’t match.

INTERESTING LINES:

• “Time heals all wounds.” –   Chris    (Benny Safdie)
• “If I’m asking for compensation or money, then I’m saying that I can be compensated but I can’t.” –  Martha   (Vanessa Kirby)

OTHER MOVIES LIKE THIS YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

PENGUIN BLOOM (being released on January 27)

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