Review: Pieces of a Woman

Shia LaBeouf and Vanessa Kirby star in this achingly raw drama as a couple grieving the loss of their child following a home birth. 

The film opens as Martha (Vanessa Kirby) goes into labor. Her husband Sean (Shia LeBeouf) frantically calls their midwife to find that she’s unavailable and will be sending a replacement, Eve (Molly Parker). Things immediately seem off as the story beings. Martha is holding back vomit and is in an immense amount of pain.

Knowing where this film leads adds a sense of dread and distrust as Eve enters their home. As Martha struggles through an excruciating labor, Eve is doing everything in her power to make sure there are no issues. 

When a look of concern crosses her face, you know this is where things will go wrong. She tells Sean to call 911 as she helps Martha finally give birth. There’s a moment of relief, but things take a turn for the worse as paramedics arrive.

The opening scene is a grueling 30 minutes. It’s high powered, intense, and gripping. After the title rolls, however, the movie slows to a snail’s pace. 

Martha and Sean spiral in their own ways following the tragedy. Sean falls back into drinking and drugs, while Martha closes herself off and tries to find meaning in what happened. 

Her mother (Ellen Burstyn) wants to avenge her grandchild’s death and hold Eve accountable, which results in Martha distancing herself even more from her family. 

This story is told through the months following the horrific opening sequence, and even though there are dates given, the film itself seems scattered. It attempts to show the couple’s shattered pieces while spiraling into multiple subplots that lead the way to the midwife’s trial. Because of this, Martha’s story gets muddled.

When we finally get to the courtroom scene, it feels like a completely different movie. This is the first time we see Eve since the opening scene. We don’t hear her speak or address Martha other than a look. Because of this, the intensity of the scene falls flat.

Pieces of a Woman is very much an “acting” movie. By that, I mean, this is a film where all the actors get to show off how good they are… And boy, do they. 

Vanessa Kirby gives an insanely physical performance … she’s outstanding and is why this movie leaves a mark.

Ellen Burstyn has a monologue that will completely shred you to pieces. She proves why she’s one of the greats. Her performance was the only one that brought tears to my eyes.

Shia Lebeouf was the only one who didn’t leave an impression on me. He was good, but with Kirby and Burstyn on the screen, he feels like a side character. 

Pieces of a Woman is a story about dealing with loss. Everyone handles it differently, and watching it unfold on screen is heartbreaking. That being said, after the shock of the opening scene settles, so does the momentum. The story is shaky, and there are major pacing issues with the timeline and subplots. However, the acting was absolutely impeccable and saved this film from being forgettable.