Martha has lost her infant and possibly this is when the intensity of the film maximises as the raw grief overwhelms and threatens to engulf this lovely household into an empty bitter shell, hell-bent on retribution. Martha is so numb with grief that she isolates herself from Sean and her mother. The rawness of her discomfort is tangible, and she becomes a listless, emotionless character, a far cry from the earlier Martha she was. Unable to cope with the grief and getting unmoored from his wife, Sean requires refuge in cocaine, cigarettes and alcohol. While her mother Elizabeth stonily eggs the couple to channelise their grief into revenge and prosecute the supposedly blameless mid-wife.
Pieces Of A Woman has a compelling narrative even though it does stumble in components specifically the courtroom scenes. The childbirth scene also kindles a dark distress that is occasionally complicated to watch. Vanessa Kirby’s overall performance is nuanced and balanced. Her agonised feelings evoke empathy, and her discomfort stir up a torment that touches a chord. Especially in the sex scene following the tragedy, Kirby nails it with her portrayal of an empty Martha attempting her greatest to match up to her husband’s aggressiveness, but failing miserably.
Shia LaBeouf’s discomfort of losing his youngster and then figuratively losing his wife reflects in his eyes and body language as he helplessly struggles to cope with these momentous woes and fails. The rest of the cast, specifically Ellen Burstyn and Molly Park, are impactful. With this bruising dark film, Hungarian director Kornel Mundruczo tends to make his debut in the English film genre. Though it is an perfect platform for his actors to carry out to their quite greatest, the film by itself is a tad disturbing and dark.
Film: Pieces Of A Woman
Cast: Vanessa Kirby, Shia LaBeouf, Ellen Burstyn, Molly Parker
Director: Kornel Mundruczo
Platform: Netflix
Stars: Four