"Pieces of a Woman" seems to be exactly what many others are saying about it: a partly well-acted movie that would've made for a decent 30-minutes short film followed by more than an hour and a half that's not as compelling. I don't have much to add to that because this is generally superficial filmmaking wallowing in grief that inevitably falters into melodramatics, including yelling and speechifying--even a speech in a courtroom that rather ruins what was otherwise a powerful moment involving a photograph of the mother with her newborn. Even the some-20-minutes long take, technically impressive though it is, of the birth scene is more showy than profound. After the title appears 30 minutes in, though, and beyond the credits appearing letter by letter (in pieces, in other words--get it) and sequences divided by gaps in time (more pieces),the picture is exceedingly uncomplicated in construction. It becomes mere dull melancholy. Long with ruminative shots, but nothing intelligent to think about.

But, sure, Vanessa Kirby plays quiet grieving with the best of them, especially when not required to suddenly emote excessively to demonstrate that grief. On the other hand, Shia LaBeouf goes the other typical direction in these movies, of booze, drugs and abusive outbursts and which is not helped at all by the star's real-life notoriety for the same. I suppose I prefer to see him in stuff not involving Transformers but this character is too far over-the-top in opposition to Kirby's relative restraint. Nothing particularly interesting is done with his job in bridge construction, either, beyond the obvious metaphor of "resonance" that their marriage clearly doesn't have. Although, I'm not even sure what Kirby's Martha does in her job except for perhaps that she received an office because, as evidenced by her entitled mother (Ellen Burstyn),she comes from money. Although I wouldn't be surprised if Burstyn, along with Kirby, receives awards attention, her character is nearly as "boorish" as LaBeouf's and is given dementia in the script because, I don't know, the filmmakers seemed to have forgotten to end the movie in a timely manner. "Pieces of a Woman" is a long slog with no payoff.

A very pregnant Martha (Vanessa Kirby) and construction worker Sean (Shia LaBeouf) are happy together until a tragedy happens and they struggle with the aftermath. She has a complicated relationship with her mother (Ellen Burstyn).

These are good to great performances. Kirby is terrific. Burstyn is her greatness as usual. LaBeouf is convincing. He is so convincing that I can't see any woman wanting to be in a relationship with him. I do wonder if the movie should check in with Eva every once in awhile. Maybe Martha should peep in on Eva in a scene or two. In many ways, this is Martha's movie and I think she would go search out for Eva.

This was one of the contenders of Awards Season I was looking forward to the most, having seen clips and Mark Kermode talking about it on BBC News, The Film Review. Basically, a happy couple in Boston, Martha (Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated Vanessa Kirby),an executive, and Sean (Shia LaBeouf),a construction worker, are expecting their first child. Martha goes into labour at their home and Sean calls their midwife, Barbara. Another midwife, Eva Woodward (Molly Parker),is sent in Barbara's place, as she is unavailable. Martha struggles with nausea and pain during contractions, but Eva is supportive, and Sean helps to keep her calm. When Martha reaches ten centimetres, Eva realises the baby's heart rate has dropped dangerously low. Sean asks Eva if they are safe to continue and Eva tells Sean to call an ambulance. Martha eventually gives birth to a baby girl who at first seems healthy. But shortly after, Eva notices the baby is turning blue and attempts to revive her as she stops breathing. Unfortunately, the child goes into cardiac arrest and dies before the ambulance arrive. The following month, Martha and Sean meet with a coroner. Sean is eager to find out what went wrong, while Martha is reluctant. They learn the cause of death has not yet been established but are told they were able to determine that the baby was in a low-oxygen environment. Proceedings against Eva have already started. Sean leaves, overcome with emotion, while Martha is almost emotionless and stays to talk to the coroner. She wants to donate the baby's body to science. Martha and Sean's relationship continues to be strained. The relationship between Martha and her mother, Elizabeth (Ellen Burstyn),a wealthy Jewish woman, and Holocaust survivor, also becomes strained. Elizabeth wants to have a burial and funeral for the baby, Both Martha and Sean remain deeply depressed. Sean later starts to have an affair, having sex with Martha's cousin, Suzanne (Sarah Snook). He is a former drug addict, he has been sober for almost seven years, but he starts using cocaine. Suzanne is the attorney prosecuting Eva; she informs Sean that a potential lawsuit against Eva could be very lucrative. A month later, at a tense family gathering at her home, Elizabeth tells Martha that she has to attend Eva's trial and blames Martha for her baby's death because she decided to have a home birth. Elizabeth then tells Sean that she never liked him before offering him a cheque for large sum of money to leave and never return. Martha drops Sean off at Logan International Airport and he leaves for Seattle. Months later, Martha testifies at Eva's trial. She is interrogated by the defence about the dangers and complications of a home birth as opposed to going to hospital, while the prosecution questions if she truly trusted Eva to do her job. After her testimony, the judge allows her to address the court. Martha finally becomes emotional about her baby, she says that no conviction or lawsuit is ever going to take away her pain, and she states Eva is not to blame for the death of her child. A month later, Martha scatters her daughter's ashes into the river from the bridge that Sean helped to build. Years later, a little girl climbs an apple tree, picks an apple, and eats it. This little girl is Martha's daughter, Lucy (Juliette Casagrande),she helps her down and they go inside together. Also starring Iliza Shlesinger as Anita Weiss, Benny Safdie as Chris, Tyrone Benskin as Judge, and Jimmie Fails as Max. Kirby gives a highly convincing performance as the middle-class mother who cannot bring herself to truly acknowledge what has happened, LeBeouf is good as her partner who goes down a dark path, and Burstyn is great as the domineering mother pressuring her daughter to take legal action. The opening twenty-four minutes is a brilliant unedited long take of a realistic labour scene, the story going forward monthly to see the aftermath of the child's death and the relationship breaking down is clever, it really draws you in, a terrific drama. Very good!