Pieces of a Woman
Netflix | Release Date: December 30, 2020
6.6
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 113 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
77
Mixed:
22
Negative:
14
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
7
moviemitch96Jan 7, 2021
This poignant and tragic film stars Vanessa Kirby and Shia LaBeauf as a young couple reeling from tragedy following the events of their home birth gone wrong and the toll it takes on them and their relationship, as well as those around them.This poignant and tragic film stars Vanessa Kirby and Shia LaBeauf as a young couple reeling from tragedy following the events of their home birth gone wrong and the toll it takes on them and their relationship, as well as those around them. Having been intrigued particularly by the cast, every actor involved manages to deliver a solid performance, with Kirby and LaBeauf in particular displaying heartbreaking performances. Also deserving of a mention is the always incredible Ellen Burstyn as Kirby's devastated mother. Storywise, the film's opening act depicting the home birth is particularly harrowing, setting the tone for what's to come for much of the rest of the film, with the acting during this portion of the film in particular really hitting home the emotion and pain. However, I wish I could say that the rest of the film had as strong and profound of an effect on me, as the film seemed to wander and lose its aim/sense of direction while being somewhat busy wallowing in grief and misery. The film does manage to to turn things around slightly in the final 10 min or so by trying to give us a morality boost and the closest thing to a hopeful ending as we can get, but by then, it was mostly too little too late, and it simply didn't have as strong of an effect on me as I would've liked. Overall, it's the solid performances that carry this film to the end, and while they do try to make up for the muted impact and wandering moods and tones on display here, it wasn't quite enough to make the film particularly memorable or stand out to me in too big a way.… Expand
2 of 3 users found this helpful21
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8
bertobellamyJan 11, 2021
Kornél Mundruczó's first English-language feature film is about loss and coming to terms with it. With Vanessa Kirby and Ellen Burstyn's phenomenal performances, 'Pieces of a Woman' shows us the different ways of dealing with pain. With aKornél Mundruczó's first English-language feature film is about loss and coming to terms with it. With Vanessa Kirby and Ellen Burstyn's phenomenal performances, 'Pieces of a Woman' shows us the different ways of dealing with pain. With a very emotional one-shot sequence as the core, the film succeeds at moving very sensible fibers. Unfortunately, a subplot involving a lawyer and Shia Lebouf's character's extreme antagonization don't work very well. Nevertheless, this film will make you care about the main character as a few do.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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8
augustwoJan 13, 2021
This film is slow moving and a very sad story but the acting, cinematography and musical score keep you immersed the entire time. My girlfriend doesn't stay awake thru entire movies and she made it thru this one. Good stuff, glad we choseThis film is slow moving and a very sad story but the acting, cinematography and musical score keep you immersed the entire time. My girlfriend doesn't stay awake thru entire movies and she made it thru this one. Good stuff, glad we chose it on a whim.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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9
alejandro970Jan 23, 2021
The drama knew how to put ourselves in the shoes of the main couple and make us feel the tragedy of losing a newborn child, without exaggerations or soap opera Manichaeism. What also surprises in an unrecognizable and implausible Shia La Beouf.
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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9
AndreBorbaJan 21, 2021
What an incredible piece of art. Vanessa Kirby does here an amazing and extraordinary performance, although Shia Labeouf is involved in some sh#@ things, here he does a great job too. Some people say that the first 30 minutes is reallyWhat an incredible piece of art. Vanessa Kirby does here an amazing and extraordinary performance, although Shia Labeouf is involved in some sh#@ things, here he does a great job too. Some people say that the first 30 minutes is really breathtaking but the other part of the film is not so good at all. But in my opinion, although I liked more the first 30 minutes, the film doesn't fail in the rhythm and the conduction of the story. 2020 must see film, watch!… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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7
mattaluckJan 24, 2021
I can't imagine being a pregnant woman, losing her child right after giving birth to her, besides that no one understand her or be with her, she basically handling her grieve all by her own , and got pushed to go to the court, Vanessa KirbyI can't imagine being a pregnant woman, losing her child right after giving birth to her, besides that no one understand her or be with her, she basically handling her grieve all by her own , and got pushed to go to the court, Vanessa Kirby is subtly amazing, Ellen Burstyn's monologue is weird. Molly Parker is charming and warm through the scenes, really could just have a film surround Molly Parker's character. I didn't care about Shia LaBeouf, as him assaulting her grieving partner physically and emotionally, grad him left the story as he went to Seattle. The film is trying so hard to connect the dot that how Martha loves apple, always having an apple on her hand, when the trio for her is over and her grieve is over, Martha is using it to growing apple seed, and then at the end of the movie, suddenly her new baby girl climbing up the apple tree by the house, to have an apple, while Martha coming out from the house, and telling her to have dinner, is that really necessary?? that is weird move.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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7
dfelixfJan 7, 2021
Es un poco lenta, las actuaciones tienen más relevancia que la trama en sí. En el primer acto podemos ver, literalmente, la introducción y el climax de la película —muy bien dirigido, a mi parecer. Lo único bueno del segundo acto fue esaEs un poco lenta, las actuaciones tienen más relevancia que la trama en sí. En el primer acto podemos ver, literalmente, la introducción y el climax de la película —muy bien dirigido, a mi parecer. Lo único bueno del segundo acto fue esa discusión entre Martha y su mamá. Y las actuaciones están a otro nivel, dignas de ser nominadas en esta temporada de premios.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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7
PerceptionPopJan 14, 2021
How good is Vanessa Kirby in this patient but thoughtful film about loss. Very good.
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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9
MardiazJan 10, 2021
Just breathtaking, and if you are a woman you would feel the anguish and the sadness of Martha. It’s a powerful movie that make you feel what the characters are going through
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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8
MattBrady99Jan 20, 2021
“She smelt like an apple”.

Man, what a movie. Please avoid reading up any synopsis for this movie and instead go in blind if you can. However, I must warn you that this movie is a hard pill to swallow, in terms of its subject matter.“She smelt like an apple”.

Man, what a movie.

Please avoid reading up any synopsis for this movie and instead go in blind if you can. However, I must warn you that this movie is a hard pill to swallow, in terms of its subject matter. Without spoiling anything, the movie is about grief and how that can affect a person and a relationship. It may be distressing for some and may leave you feeling blue, but it’s so powerful you won’t forget it. Worth seeing just for the directing, acting, and story.

I wasn’t prepared for it and I think you shouldn’t be too.

The movie begins with a stressful and devastating 30-minute-long scene that perfectly sets up the tone for the movie. It’s very rare for me to say “oh sh*t!” out load while watching a movie. People have said that the movie quickly deflates after that, but I don’t agree. After something as huge as that opening, the rest takes a much slower pace that effectively allows the audience to examine closely on the characters during the worst period of their lives.

Vanessa Kirby delivers a performance that I would describe as haunting. Out of all the performances I’ve seen from her (so far), this is by far her best, as this movie really showcases her range as an actor. She really sank her teeth into the role and every bit of emotion she conveyed throughout the movie, loud or quiet, was incredibly believable. From her role as Princess Margaret in the hit TV show ‘The Crown’ and now this movie, I can safely say I’m a fan of Vanessa Kirby.

The rest of the supporting cast were all equally terrific. Shia LaBeouf, despite being a controversial figure recently, also delivers a fantastic performance. It was more grounded and less showy than his other roles. Ellen Burstyn is an amazing actor, and this movie reminds us of that. The scenes between her and Kirby were the highlights of the movie. One scene reminded of Burstyn’s heart-breaking monologue from ‘Requiem for a Dream’. Just from her facial expressions alone, the sadness and the worry, have implanted itself into my head.

The cinematography from Benjamin Loeb is really well shot and the camera work is almost like a character itself. There are plenty of long takes throughout the movie as the camera would sometimes flow between or around the characters, which made the scenes feel personal and real.

My only issue with the was the score from Howard Shore as I felt it was lacking in some scenes. At times I didn’t think music was really needed for certain scenes. Not a terrible score by any means, but very disappointing and nothing special. And that’s really it for issues.

Overall rating: ‘Pieces of a Woman’ is a beautiful character-driven story that emotionally wrecked me. A hard movie to recommend for obvious reasons. It’s a challenging movie that demands your patience as the story steadily moves along the emotional turmoil. It doesn’t hold anything back when it comes to presenting the honest truth of its subject matter, but I think that’s what made it so powerful for me. Difficult to watch, but I believe that’s the point.… Expand
1 of 3 users found this helpful12
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10
wilf2020Jan 2, 2021
Vanessa Kirby is absolutely divine in this film with one of the bravest and boldest performances I have ever seen on screen as an actor. Give her all the awards!
1 of 4 users found this helpful13
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7
Brent_MarchantFeb 6, 2021
Losing a loved one is never easy, but it's especially difficult when parents watch a newborn slip away in the first few minutes after birth, an event fraught with all manner of fallout, the subject of this sometimes-brilliant,Losing a loved one is never easy, but it's especially difficult when parents watch a newborn slip away in the first few minutes after birth, an event fraught with all manner of fallout, the subject of this sometimes-brilliant, sometimes-frustrating new domestic drama. While the film's opening 27-minute single-shot birthing sequence is captivating, the picture fails to maintain the same intensity and depth thereafter, frequently meandering, wallowing in cliches and providing only shallow explorations into the psychological issues that should have been the focus for the picture's balance. These failings are compensated for somewhat by the fine performances of Vanessa Kirby, Ellen Burstyn and Shia LaBeouf, as well as some intriguing underlying themes that struggle to surface through the otherwise-undisciplined narrative. In all, though, director Kornel Mundruczo's finished product comes up short, leaving viewers wanting for something more substantive given the project's profound subject matter.… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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8
megomikeFeb 5, 2021
Pieces of a Woman is a too-close journey of a woman reclaiming her soul after the greatest loss any parent can experience. In what appears to be a relatively normal home birth, Martha delivers what appears to be a healthy baby girl. ButPieces of a Woman is a too-close journey of a woman reclaiming her soul after the greatest loss any parent can experience. In what appears to be a relatively normal home birth, Martha delivers what appears to be a healthy baby girl. But minor heart murmurs identified by the midwife are shrouding a deeper problem that quickly robs Martha and Sean of their first child. What follows are glimpses over the next few months of Martha’s life, and the confusion of the many emotions, grief, pain, anger, guilt, and navigating these emotions to bring herself back to life despite the conflicting needs of her family and partner. Pieces of a Woman was written by Kata Weber (Jupiter’s Moon), and directed by Kornel Mundruczo (Jupiter’s Moon). It stars Vanessa Kirby (The Crown) as Martha, the young mother faced with an insurmountable loss. Shia LaBeouf (Transformers) turns in what would have been an award-winning performance as Sean if not for his off-screen problems with alcohol and domestic violence. We are treated to a rare non-comedic performance by Iliza Shlesinger as Martha’s sister, Anita, and the inimitable Ellen Burstyn (The Exorcist, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore) as their overbearing rich matriarch, Elizabeth. Molly Parker also delivers a quietly deep performance as the midwife, witness of both the beauty of birth, and unexpected death. The birth scene is not shortened for comfort. The filmmakers are very smart to precede the loss of Martha and Sean’s baby with an extended view of the pain and discomfort experienced by a woman to just bring a life into the world. The care in developing the love between Martha and Sean, and their love for the baby, followed by a long difficult labor and seemingly successful birth, punctuates the vastness of the loss once it occurs. What follows is a profoundly authentic stream of life for all characters at odds with each other, that feels very familiar within all families and relationships following a crisis. But, it is Martha’s emotional survival at the center of this tale, and slowly she makes the personal decisions necessary to begin her return to humanity. This is a difficult journey for anyone that is or has been a parent, and anyone who has loved anyone struck by deep personal loss. All of the characters are sympathetic, if viewed in a bubble. But as players in Martha’s Journey, their own pain does nothing more than to complicate her healing. They deal with life as they always have, but it’s not good enough to help Martha, and while the slow destruction of a once enviable relationship between Martha and Sean is heartbreaking, and their behavior toward each other hard to see, it doesn’t matter. This movie is about Martha’s resurrection, and neither of them are able to provide each other the support they need under so much duress. But as is often true, growth occurs as a result of careful choice of behaviors, and people, to either jettison or bring closer. I give Pieces of a Woman a solid 4/5 Stars, and recommend it very highly with the admonishment that couples in a new relationship may struggle with many of the themes. This film has received some recognition from the Golden Globes, and should predictably receive the same from the Academy. The movie is a longshot, but a solid choice as a Best Picture nominee, along with its writer and director. LaBeouf’s performance is Oscar-worthy, but he has been dropped from awards consideration. A potential dark horse would be a Best Supporting Actress nomination for Ellen Burstyn, for a recognizable performance as an older mother with too many opinions that will stir emotions you forgot you had. Plus, there is never a bad reason to give Ellen Burstyn an Oscar nomination. Vanessa Kirby’s Martha is the most obvious for a Best Actress nod. Her emotionally measured and believable performance of a woman’s path to healing is the most authentic performance I’ve seen by an actress this year.… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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8
MetacriticOnurOct 21, 2021
excellent
[ ek-suh-luhnt ]

adjective
possessing outstanding quality or superior merit; remarkably good.
0 of 2 users found this helpful02
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