"Pieces Of A Woman": Movie Review
Written By Alex Greenbaum
"Pieces Of A Woman" is a catastrophic disaster, determined to pursue its extreme melodrama. Even the well-intentioned performances from the underrated Vanessa Kirby and Shia LaBeouf cannot salvage its cringe-inducing script. At its core, there's a potentially layered film that covers loss and infidelity but instead bats the audience over the head with laughable symbolism and contrived relationships. With an exceptional 30-minute opening sequence that sets great intensity and realism, "Pieces Of A Woman" quickly dissolves into a pathetically pitiful experience.
Following a devastating miscarriage, Martha (Kirby) attempts to mourn in her way but her disconnected partner (LaBeouf) and overbearing mother (Ellen Burstyn) only add fuel to the fire.
On the positive side of things, the film's introduction is memorable; its emotional weight is tangible. Kirby and LaBeouf showcase their innate acting ability with gravitas. The intentions of this sequence, unfortunately, diminish into futility as the script by Kata Wéber ("White God", "Jupiter's Moon") plummets, making the next 96 minutes torturous.
Looking back, it is difficult to find anything that fundamentally works on any level, after the opening sequence. Burstyn's dialogue is comically absurd, LaBeouf's character arch disappears, and Kirby's mourning becomes increasingly baffling. Kornél Mundruczó's ("White God", "Jupiter's Moon") direction undercuts all his performers with numerous inconceivable sequences that ruin the actor's intentions. The choppy (sometimes unacceptable) editing, misplaced scoring, and uninspired tone do it no benefit in keeping pace with its greater ambitions.
Full of expectation and potential, "Pieces Of A Woman" fails to live up to its promise. It's an abysmal viewing, solely worthy for its intense introduction, that sets the bar quite high. There are very few redeeming qualities that could've saved this dreadful experiment.
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