Pieces of a Woman: A Heart-rending Story Starring Vanessa Kirby

The title 'Pieces of a Woman' indicates that a child is a part of her mother's body and soul. The movie shows a soul-stirring portrayal of a woman's (pregnant) life and her loss. The lead roles are played by Vanessa Kirby (Princess Margaret from The Crown series), Shia LaBeouf, and academy award winner Ellen Burstyn (Requiem for a Dream 2000).

Pieces of a Woman (2021)

Genres: Drama

Cast: Vanessa Kirby, Shia LaBeouf,

Ellen Burstyn

The first shot of the movie is where Sean (Shia LaBeouf) is working on the bridge with the construction team, he is very excited about his upcoming child (a girl). He even promised her that she would be the first person to cross the new bridge. The bridge metaphorically indicates the progress of the story. His wife, Martha (Vanessa Kirby), is in the final days of her pregnancy and is expecting a home birth. Her midwife (Barbara) was busy during the labor, so she arranged Eva (Molly Parker) as a replacement. Unfortunately, it didn't happen as expected. I would say that the delivery scene is very realistic, unforgettable, and fantastically done in a single shot.

After the first half, Martha and Sean are struggling to cope with this tragedy, their marriage is slowly but surely falling apart. Martha isolated herself from everything, she built a wall around herself that Sean couldn't break. Elizabeth (Ellen Burstyn) is shown as Martha's mother. She wanted to see the midwife behind the bars.

   

You may find that the second half isn't as gripping as it is in the first half. I didn't like the way the husband-wife's relationship progressed. They got separated when both needed each other the most. I wanted to see them healing each other's wounds instead. After the first half, it is Martha-oriented. As the film progressed, Sean's character faded. 

It's one of the finest performances of Vanessa Kirby. She portrayed the expressions and emotions perfectly as a mother. Shia LaBeouf also did a sensational job. If you like heart-rending films, then you should watch 'Pieces of a Woman'.