Pieces of a Woman (2020): A Short Review

Pieces of a Woman (2020) is finally on Netflix after garnering some positive reviews from its TIFF debut. This anxiety-driven drama stars Venessa Kirby as a woman who is trying to cope with grief and depression following a tragic episode in her life.

This movie is a heart-wrenching portrayal of grief-induced depression, one that benefits primarily from Venessa Kirby’s mesmerising performance. While there are many other noteworthy performances, Kirby’s is the most nuanced. When a person experiences grief, they are transformed as an individual. Thus, the challenge of every actor is to show that without losing grip of the character. On top of that, there are many dimensions to grief, and it is easy to give a one-note performance filled with crying and blank stares. Fortunately, Kirby knows this and gives a performance that is both transformative and multi-dimensional.

The direction is appropriately subdued. The director knows that the story is best told through the performances. So, he lets the actors do what they do best – act. And with his sure-handed camera work, he captures those performances. There are techniques to be sure. Long takes are often used to keep a reinforce rising intensity in certain scenes. In these cases, the director specifically uses tracking shots to put the audience in the center of the action. The result is some excellent tension-building scenes. Close-ups and wide shots are also deliberately designed to create emotional closeness and distance between the character and the audience. The director uses elementary film techniques to reinforce the already complex work of the actors.

The film’s greatest success also imposes limitations. The use of elementary techniques highlights strong performances, primarily from Venessa Kirby. However, it also highlights some of the less interesting dynamic in the story, particularly the relationships between the characters. There are more than a few lost potentials in exploring the more complex aspect of family, kinship, and friendship. The movie chooses not to take that detour. In that sense it’s a straight arrow.

You will probably enjoy this movie quite a bit, not least because it’s led by a great performance, accompanied by confident and subdued direction. However, it is not by any means a mind-blowing experience. It’s just a really good movie.