Review: Pieces Of A Woman
A movie that primarily draws its hype from one, isolated feat of filmmaking rarely goes all the way when it comes to awards. It’s especially difficult to get the average moviegoer to watch a movie that’s propped up by one particular scene of technical filmmaking. Such is the case for Pieces Of A Woman. Even with a standout performance from Vanessa Kirby, it doesn’t help that the film features one of the most harrowing scenes of the year. Kirby plays Martha, a woman on the precipice of motherhood. She and her husband, Sean (played by Shia Labeouf) are expecting a daughter and the impressive feat of technical filmmaking in reference is a 20+ minute long, unbroken take of their daughter’s birth. The scene ends tragically and the rest of the film is a bumpy ride as the family works to process their grief.
I wouldn’t say the filmmaking shines after that first scene. Martha and Sean are dealing with the type of grief that cripples, but they seem to be internalizing much of it. The pain just sits on the surface, waiting to spill out at any moment. While that can make for a few compelling acting moments, (and it does) most of what we experience as an audience is self-destructive, explosive actions followed by quiet, brooding set pieces.
It’s hard to watch. Combined with the awkward pacing and inconsistent storytelling, Pieces of a Woman does not reward its audience for hanging tough after an initial punishing watching experience, it punishes us for the entire run time.