‘Pieces of a woman’ is two hours of emotional unease

The Low energy storytelling set ‘pieces of a woman’ apart from other Netflix dramas released this year. The gloomy mood is present in every scene and the weight of those emotions are carried by the audience such that the audience is literally in all the character’s heads.

In this movie, the main focus from the opening to the final image is Martha Wiess. A pregnant wife, anticipating the joy of motherhood. Unfortunately, after an estimated thirty minutes of intense labor, the joy is short-lived as the baby gives its last breath minutes after its first cry. Thanks to Vanessa Kirby’s acting and Kornel Mundruczo’s unique visual directing. If empathy was what they wanted me to feel, they got me.

The tragic result of the home birth serves as the inciting incident for this two-hour character-driven movie.

Martha goes into grief and depression; Isolating herself from family. At the same time, Martha is in a dark place. Her husband caves in his insecurities and worst impulses. He begins to have an affair with their attorney hired by Martha's mother for the trial.

The Trial is a window for closure emphasized by Martha’s mother during a powerful monologue of her own mother’s struggle raising her, after a brief moment of internal debate, Martha goes on with it.

She vindicates the midwife allegedly responsible for the baby’s death at the trial. Martha even has another child Lucy who appears in the final scene—based on the ending scene, although we don't know if Martha has the same partner. A new house [Different from the one she had a failed homebirth] hints at a new beginning for Martha.

Most movies will thrill you with action, but this induced thoughts to rebuke considering the chasm of grief shrewdly acted out by Vanessa Kirby; I can honestly say this movie left a mark on its audience.

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Israel Olorunnisola is a freelance creative. When he is not writing about Film, Music, TV or Pop culture he is telling stories on Wattpad.

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