Pieces of a Woman - Review

 



Have you ever peeked into your neighbor's windows and regretted it? Or accidentally heard a private conversation while passing by? Because that’s what watching Pieces of a Woman felt like. The deeply personal Kornél Mundruczó’s film tugged on every heartstring I had. The first act felt like going to war, it was slow yet intense. There were times where I had to pause it and reflect on things. It took me a solid twenty-minute break to get over a certain scene in the first act and keep watching. The films explored grieve in a way that is not often portrayed in mainstream media, the sadness, self-sabotage, and anger felt extremely realistic. Vanessa Kirby’s solid performance elevates the shaky script, I found it hard to criticize the screenplay when she was the one delivering one emotional line after the other. What I liked about her performance the most was how familiar it was, not in the film business, but real life. Women, especially grieving women, are often portrayed as winy creatures in movies. However, in this one, we get to explore multitudes of different emotions at various time frames. The transition between periods was smooth, some details felt confusing until they came together beautifully at the end. Acting and character-wise, Shia LaBeouf didn’t deliver as much as I was hoping. Ellen Burstyn’s performance was the only one who could keep up with Kirby’s. I loved their flawed dynamic and their love for each other, their relationship was developed realistically. I wouldn’t say I enjoyed Pieces of a Woman, nor would I recommend it to anyone. It is however a very important film, with a message worth seeing if you have the stomach for it.