Vanessa Kirby can be best described as luminous. A truly a gifted actor. Pieces of a Woman was blessed to have her in its cast. Ethereal beauty also applies but that observation comes from the core of her performance. She dove deep into her soul - Outstanding

Good movie, definitely recommend if you're looking for a sad movie.

Absolutely amazing and realistic portrayal of deal life, I suffered an 8 1/2 month pregnancy loss and this movie brought me so much comfort and made me feel less alone. Real life isn't always pretty it doesn't always have a happy ending tied up in a bow , babies die and movies need to reflect this sometimes. I recommended this movie to many of my friends and family so that could get a glimpse into what life was like for me.

Woah did she win anything for this performance?

Really good. I know this is a drama,but the first scenes of Vanessa Kirby are fun as hell. Shia Lebaouf gives a really good performances. Ok this is all I have to say the movie lasted half an hour for me,it's too quick. Friday I'm going to see Napoleon so two Vanessa Kirby performances in a week,my god she's one of the mist beautiful woman I have ever seen and she's an amazing actress too,and her face,never seen something that beautiful.

Perfect movie when dealing with the death of a child. I've been through it and the movie was spot on. Loved it. The healing process is a long and hard road but you can get through it if you choose too.

Quite a powerful movie. The director didn't fear to take risks, to provoke the viewer, to trigger them even, presenting a very realistic, intense, harsh view about loss. At the same time, to balance this brutal view, we see some nice pictures with excellent color combination and a cinematography that proves the aesthetics of the direction. Next, we have the story. Quite a simple story, nothing too complicated, proving that the story of human relationships can be more exciting and moving without any plot twists, unrealistic and romantic views or escapism. It's the story of desperation, through the eyes of realistic characters with all the weakness, passion, denial, cruelty of a real human being. Nothing far-fetched, you will not find a voice of reason, a savior, a "bad" character and a "good" character. Just humans presenting real emotions, acting irrational, making the viewer furious at times. The screenwriters proved that they know and love the human nature as it is and chose to present it as such. A very courageous effort. Then, we have the performances. I always found Shia Labeouf to be an underrated actor and to my humble opinion he proved me right. A enjoyable performance of a difficult character. He had to be disfigured in a way, not so much regarding his external image but his character. He managed to make the audience hate him and sympathize with him at the same time, he presented quite successfully the grief and frustration through the eyes of a macho, rough, proud, uneducated man who tries desperately to control the uncontrollable. As far as Ellen Burstyn is concerned, her performance was simply excellent. No surprises there, of course. Make way for the extensive experience! She attributed great depth to her character, she endorsed and enriched the background of a character, she took her time with her performance, building up to a simply mesmerizing monologue which leaves you stunned. Last, but definitely not least, we have the performance of Vanessa Kirby. I've never seen her before that movie and I adored her. She had the most difficult role of all, she had to present us an unimaginable grief and desperation in all its extend and with various presentations. Pain, denial, cruelty, inconsiderable actions, anger, detachment and absolution. She presented all of the above successfully. She convinced me at every turn. Simply bravo! Overall, the movie was not lacking in direction, story or performances. Even the soundtrack had some excellent choices to contribute to the melancholic atmosphere. Maybe it was too triggering at some points, some symbolism turned out to be more transparent that I thought and maybe the ending was somewhat too forced but we shouldn't expect the perfect movie. No, it was not perfect, surely. But it definitively was a piece of excellence.

Vanessa Kirby tries to put the pieces of herself back together in a Netflix film by Kata Weber The first 30 min take a while setting things up Martha gives birth at home to a baby but unfortunately suffers a miscarriage A few months later she's trying to maintain her composure It's only a matter of time before she breaks down The movie is way too long but Vanessa Kirby gives a truly amazing performance Ellen Burstyn also shines here even opening up at one point to Martha she suffered as much as she did as an infant It offers a poignant portrayal of grief no doubt but really could've used more spark as far as the direction

The opening scene was a realistic portrayal of a home birth, I didn't find it harrowing like many other critics did. Her partner seemed to be distant even during the birth which set up a lack of emotion from me when they eventually drew apart. I understand what the movie was going for with the isolation of the couple but I just don't feel that aspect was important to see. I didn't find their relationship turmoil interesting or worthwhile because both characters were a little unlikeable in general. The acting was quite excellent but didn't save the plot. I would have liked to see the couple go through the trail of loosing a baby and coming back together.

I thought a Martin Scorsese film would've been a lot better. The beginning was good although a little dragged out and the court stuff was great at the end.

This film invoked so much emotion that at times it was almost difficult to watch but in a good way. The birth scene is only a second take and filmed in one-shot manner which was absolutely grippingly intense. Very well done.

Kornél Mundruczó‘s 'Pieces Of A Woman' is an intense, emotionally raw story fulled by grief and anger. Vaness Kirby gives the performance of her career, enduring a 23-minute long birthing scene at the start of the film. The heartbreaking story follows Martha (Vanessa Kirby) and Sean (Shia LaBeouf, a Boston couple who decide on having a homebirth for their daughter instead of going to the hospital. Unfortunately, their newfound happiness doesn't last when their baby unfortunately dies not long after being born. This unexpected tragedy sends the once loving couple down a dark tunnel full of sadness, anger and grief. It's soon revealed that their baby's death may be down to foul play on behalf of their midwife (Molly Parker) who is then taken to court to answer for her actions. As a trial awaits, Martha and Sean drift apart as their spark fades and the intimacy they once had becomes plagued with physical abuse - in one scene Sean throws a yoga ball at Martha while she smokes a cigarette. The entire cast delivers outstanding performances. Vanessa Kirby gives the performance of her career and her Volpi Cup award is well-deserved, with her presentation of Martha brimming with fragility and emotion. Shia LaBeouf plays Sean for the boorish, unstable character for what he is, a recovering drug addict knocked off course by a heart-wrenching tragedy. The rest of the cast is superb with Ellen Burstyn giving a poignant monologue begging Martha to stand up for herself. Kornél Mundruczó directs the 128 minutes with such care and doesn't minimalise the sadness a neo-natal death has on everyone involved, not just the parents. The 23-minute, single shot, birth scene in the film's opening is filmmaking at it's finest - from the camera work to the acting itself. It's almost flawless. Benjamin Loeb's cinematography is gorgeous and makes 'Pieces Of A Woman' a visual feast for viewers, and Howard Shore's score is equally incredible. This film deals with a topic that is a reality for many families, and as viewers watch the closing scenes, it's clear Martha and Sean's relationship has been destroyed by grief and anger. They are physically detached from each other with their closeness becoming non-existent. The only form of intimacy the couple show is a rough, self-indulgent sex scene on behalf of Sean who eventually has an affair with Martha's cousin Suzanne (Sarah Snook). Overall, 'Pieces Of A Woman' is a heart-wrenching depiction of the devastating effects the death of a child can have on a family, physically and mentally. It's a daunting 128-minute affair that rewards viewers with powerful performances and beautiful imagery.

The movie does a great job of portraying pain, acceptance, fairness, forgiveness, and dignity.

Recent revelation from a classic source helps reflect on the film's flowing direction besides being theatrically faithful to its material as much it could via cinematograph presentation for performative deliverance maintaining the sense of emotional realism by time. The core theme of grieving over a loss that was relatively written allows Vanessa Kirby to walk in a depressing trance ticking upwards a raw performance at her realized best outside certain blockbusters, alongside Shia LaBeouf's rare emotional strength plus the rest of the cast providing generationally sympathetic heft and casual professionalism. (B+)

A poignant portrait of grief indeed, which for many who'd have no idea about this, ought to be compulsory viewing as part of an educational curriculum.

Vanessa Kirby's performance was amazing

I really enjoyed the movie. Great acting and very interesting storyline.

The film is pretty intense, and starts off in what can be called a relatively lighter half when compared with the 2nd half, barring one event. The film's highlight is the strong performance by lead actor Vanessa Kirby.

A Netflix original from last year starring Vanessa Kirby (currently nominated for an Oscar Best Actress) & Shia LaBeouf. Kirby & LaBeouf are about to have a child. She works in an office & he's a blue collar bridge man (& also recovering addict) but things are looking up since they live in an upscale apartment & are about to have a midwife over, played by Molly Parker, instead of going to the hospital to precipitate the birth there but things go bad (their girl's birth is a complicated one & she dies a few minutes after breaching the womb) sending the couple into a perpetual funk where they try to assess blame to the pain they're feeling. Kirby's mother, played by Oscar winner Ellen Burstyn, & sister, played by comedienne Iliza Shelsinger, have brought a law suit against Parker, using another family member, played by Succession's Sarah Snook, while LaBeouf has been sidelined by Kirby sexually & finds solace in Snook's arms (Kirby teases a relationship w/a co-worker played by Jimmie Fails from The Last Black Man in San Francisco). The bottom half of the film (told in monthly passages) details (excruciatingly so!) how a family deals w/the worse tragedy they can imagine & every emotion (anger, sadness, blame, impotence, etc) get their due & the audience is an active participant as witnesses. Not an easy watch to be sure but the performances (especially Kirby who will hopefully get catapulted into the forefront of important parts in the future) keep the narrative organically flowing w/subject matter (much like Marc Foster's Everything Put Together from 20 years ago which also dealt w/an expectant couple's tragedy) which is a byproduct of our pandemic'd haze & reality. Look for Bennie Safdie (one half of Safdie brothers directing team) here playing Schelsinger's car dealership beau.

I can only say 3 things about this movie: 1. The acting was superb. 2. It was the most depressing movie I have ever seen in 56 years. 3. I know a movie is supposed to make you "feel" something, but all I felt was straight-up depressed after an intense, awkward and uncomfortable opening birthing scene.