Pieces of a Woman (2021)
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If we turn the sands of time back to ‘Hobbs & Shaw‘ Days, Vanessa Kirby starred as a pivotal character and ended up being the standout performance over even The Rock or Jason Statham. I was even more surprised still with how powerful her performance in ‘Pieces of a Woman’ is as a woman (Martha) who is dealing with the loss of her child in a possible negligent case of home-birth delivery with a midwife. The husband Sean (Shia LeBeouf) is somewhat stoic about his emotions after the loss, and has all but disengaged completely with Martha.
The film takes place mainly between Martha losing her child and the court hearing for the midwife, where Martha will be taking the stand for to sentence said midwife to jail. Director Kata Wéber gives us an in-depth and human look at what a person is capable of in times of impossible choices, and finding forgiveness in the most dark circumstances.
Vanessa Kirby will undoubtedly be nominated for many best actress awards and has a performance that may give her a few wins. I was shaken and felt so much empathy for her character and her situation is one that I’ve had close family members experience similarly. I cannot say I know what losing a child feels like, but this is a film that places you in that perspective and does so expertly.
Shia LaBeouf gives a good performance however is mired with his recent controversy for me or eve Netflix to consider his performance for any awards. All in all, he does his part in the film well.
‘Pieces of a Woman’ is a hard watch. The subject material will illicit emotions that depending on who you are will be strong or not so much. Go in with an open mind and think about what the director is trying to convey and I know you will find something from this film you did not have before.