Pieces of a Woman

— It's just hard to watch dark glimpses of dysfunction and loss and “Pieces of a Woman” definitely fits that description. Sean and Mark’s relationship disintegrates after a home-birth tragedy, each coping with their grief while buffeted by jobs, friends, guilt, isolation, and Sean’s dominant mother, along with a very public trial involving the midwife. At least three-quarters of the film is grim and heartbreaking and filled with despair. In the end, Sean manages to wrest a bit of control back in her life, offering a hint of hope and healing, but not without scars left deep in the soul. It’s a good but ambitious film that sometimes seems to rely on torturous reaction over thoughtful contemplation of a very complex subject. I liked it—and I particularly liked the actors’ efforts—but it was a little heavy-handed. [Netflix streaming.]

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[2020. 126 min. Directed by Kornél Mundruczó. Staring Vanessa Kirby, Shia LaBeouf, and Ellen Burstyn.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/pieces-of-a-woman-movie-review-2020