Pieces of a Woman

Awards talk aside, it's a bit of a mess. But it does do a decent job of capturing the impulse to blame when joy is supplanted by tragedy and loss.

It's tough to watch, but if you're gonna settle in for it, please pay attention to Vanessa Kirby. She's one to watch.

Director Kornél Mundruczó doesn't go easy on his actors or on us, making this an ordeal.

Its effortful grandiosity transforms it into something hollow and even, at times, risible.

Pieces of a Woman is a rather blunted depiction of an endlessly complex subject that deserves much more contemplation. Despite impressive performances, it fails to truly hit that mark.

The first act turns on her extended labor -- a long, sweaty action sequence as breathless as any in The Bourne Identity.

It can be a hard one to watch but, to put it simply, Kirby is magnetic. You just can’t take your eyes off her.

It feels like a masterclass performance.

“Pieces of a Woman” doesn’t forsake memory, but questions its proper place in the lives of the second generation.



Vanessa Kirby and Shia LaBeouf deliver their career-best performances, handling extensive monologues effortlessly, but it’s the former who leaves me mind-blowed at her emotional range, which induced tears in my eyes even before the title card appeared.