Pieces of a Woman
Pieces of a Woman

Movie spotlight

Pieces of a Woman

2020
Movie
127 min
English

When a young mother's home birth ends in unfathomable tragedy, she begins a year-long odyssey of mourning that fractures relationships with loved ones in this deeply personal story of a woman learning to live alongside her loss.

Insights

IMDb6.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes52%
Metacritic67
Google Users72%
Director: Kornél MundruczóGenres: Drama, Family

Plot Summary

A home birth becomes a tragedy when a couple's newborn daughter dies, leading to a devastating aftermath that fractures their relationship and forces them to confront their grief. As the mother spirals, she embarks on a challenging legal battle against the midwife, seeking accountability and a path toward healing. The film explores the profound emotional toll of loss and the complex dynamics of a marriage under immense strain.

Critical Reception

Pieces of a Woman garnered significant attention for its raw emotional power and compelling performances, particularly from Vanessa Kirby. While praised for its unflinching portrayal of grief and its powerful central performance, some critics found the film's pacing deliberate and its exploration of certain themes heavy-handed. It resonated with audiences for its realistic depiction of loss but was also noted for its challenging and emotionally demanding nature.

What Reviewers Say

  • Vanessa Kirby delivers a tour-de-force performance that anchors the film.

  • The film's depiction of grief is powerful and unflinching, though at times difficult to watch.

  • The supporting cast and directorial choices contribute to the film's emotional weight.

Google audience: Google users largely appreciated the film's emotional depth and strong lead performance, finding it a moving portrayal of loss. Some viewers noted its slow burn and intense subject matter as challenging but ultimately rewarding.

Awards & Accolades

Vanessa Kirby was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role. The film also received nominations and awards at various film festivals, including the Venice Film Festival.

Fun Fact

The film's centerpiece, a nearly 20-minute single-take scene depicting the home birth and its immediate aftermath, was highly praised by critics for its technical execution and emotional rawness.

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

5 reviews
Horseface

Horseface

Maybe there's a good movie in the script. Can't say, the actual movie is one of those productions where "HDR" means "Hundred% Darkness Rules," I can hardly make out what's going on on the screen. Turned it off after five minutes. Watc...

badelf

badelf

I totally get why this film has so many award nominations. The film deals with a difficult, very real, subject - how the loss of a child affects the relationships of those around him/her. But honestly, outside of a tremendous performance by...

Louisa Moore - Screen Zealots

Louisa Moore - S...

I feel like I can’t review “Pieces of a Woman” without first addressing the elephant in the room: the horrific and violent abuse claims against lead actor Shia LaBeouf. They’re so bad that Netflix has taken the man’s name off most ads for t...

SWITCH.

SWITCH.

'Pieces of a Woman' demonstrates how sometimes, even despite everyone trying their best, dark outcomes happen, and we don't always get an answer for why. Thankfully, it also shows that there is a path for achieving post-traumatic growth, ev...

Manuel São Bento

Manuel São Bento

If you enjoy reading my Spoiler-Free reviews, please follow my blog @ https://www.msbreviews.com I’ve never seen a movie from Kornél Mundruczó, but Pieces of a Woman started getting the usual awards buzz that comes with this time of the...