Pieces of a Woman

Vanessa Kirby is delirious as she goes into a dream-like labor scene, filmed in one shot, filled with groans and sighs. It feels like a masterclass performance. Kirby has arrived.


Scripted by Kata Weber, the film is set in Boston and is a sometimes unwatchable human tragedy. Vanessa Kirby is giving so much the entire time and her efforts carry the film. The first 30 minutes are painful and arguably the best part of the film. There were times I hit the pause button multiple times because of how real it felt.


Sean (Shia LaBeouf) is a builder and his pregnant partner Martha (Kirby) is an executive. Martha's mother disapproves of Sean. When Martha goes into birth, her midwife is not available and a replacement is sent instead. Tragedy hits immediately, and Kirby beautifully shows Martha's shock and the numbness that follows. The entire sequence keeps you on the edge and the performances sell this as a reality instead of an acted scene. We are able to sink into the minds of the characters.


The rest of the film moves in a weird direction that takes away from the main plot point. Miscarriages are a very stigmatized thing to talk about in society and a lot of people don't understand why the person who experiences it acts differently after it happens. I think it would have been better to explore in-depth Martha's feelings and actions after versus turning it into a courtroom drama. All the emotion built up in the first 30 minutes is lost.