Pieces of a Woman

A Boston couple lose their baby during a home birth in this heartbreaking and powerfully performed drama. Vanessa Kirby gives a robust and unflinching performance as the middle-class mum-to-be, who along with her construction worker husband (Shia LaBeouf) is left reeling from the tragedy. Tensions flare up further after Kirby's domineering mother (Ellen Burstyn) pressures her into taking legal action against the midwife involved in the botched delivery, and cracks in the couple's relationship are soon revealed under the weight of their shared grief. Hungarian director Kornél Mundruczó's English-language debut vibrates with emotional tension from the visceral opening scenes thanks to its formidable acting ensemble, while his use of long, continuous takes helps draw you into the drama.