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Ellen Burstyn

Pieces of a Woman: Suffering in Silence

January 7, 2021 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Unless you’ve been through it, you don’t know.

Written by Kata Weber and directed by her husband, Kornel Mundruzco, Pieces of a Woman tells the story of Martha and Sean Carson (Vanessa Kirby and Shia LeBeouf), a young Boston couple who are excited for the imminent arrival of their first child. However, after their home birth goes awry, the two are left to grapple with the realities of grief and its impact on their relationship. Over the course of the next year, Martha struggles to maintain her increasingly-distanced relationship with her spouse while her vicious mother (Ellen Burstyn) attempts to serve her own agenda by seeking justice in her own way.

First of all, full disclosure here. As someone who’s family has experienced several miscarriages, I admit my personal connection with the subject matter. Widely experienced but rarely spoken of, the loss of a child is a moment that becomes a marker in one’s life and creates a series of complex emotions that are simply hard to express, let alone onscreen. As a result, despite the film’s ‘buzz’, I maintained a certain level of scepticism about the film. 

Thankfully, Pieces of a Woman manages to depict the realities of grief in a way that is both sensitive and challenging to those who have been there.

Written out of their own experiences of suffering and loss, Weber and Mundruzco have brilliantly woven together a narrative that reflects the silent pain of many. Though the film features stunning performances and a tightly-written script, the most memorable aspect of Pieces of a Woman is its ability to draw the viewer in emotionally. This is a film which wants the viewer to feel present with its characters during their anguish and joy. For example, through the film’s use of long takes—including the remarkable 24-minute birthing scene—Pieces places the viewer within these moments and asks the audience to experience them for themselves. In these spaces, minutes feel like hours for the viewer as each breath is packed with a wide scope of emotion.

The major building blocks to the success of Pieces are its incredible performances, especially that of its leads. Over the course of his character arc, LeBeouf demonstrates his range as Sean oscillates between joy, rage and utter depression. (Honestly, though issues in his personal life have proven problematic, it truly is remarkable how much he has matured as an actor.) What’s more, as Martha’s soul-crushing mother, Burstyn is positively brilliant, operating with cruelty yet fully convinced of her beliefs. 

Even so, much of the talk will (rightly) be centered around Kirby’s effort within this piece. Without over-selling her work, Kirby’s performance is simply mesmerizing as Martha, a woman fighting to survive each moment of the day. While moments of outburst are normally what gets noticed around Oscar time, the most powerful aspects of her performance are in the moments of silent anguish. In many ways, this is a role which requires restraint as much of the pain of loss remains unspoken. Nevertheless, the intensity that Kirby displays as Martha brings her breaking heart to life with every untamed glare.

Taking place over a year of their lives, Pieces shows that pain lingers. Whether it’s seeing a display in a children’s window or having to endure a family dinner, any number of moments can trigger the reminder of who has been lost and have a ripple effect throughout one’s relationships. For example, while their romance feels authentic at first, the chemistry between Kirby and LeBeouf shifts dramatically after their loss as their inaudible pain creates an increasing abyss of awkward silence. Though once incredibly close, their inability to process their grief together drives a wedge within their relationship that may be irreparable.

However, as difficult as it may be to live in such anguish, Pieces also points to hope. Since the experience differs for everyone, presenting the ebbs and flows of grief require a certain level of nuance so as not to suggest that there is only one way to cope in these circumstances. Impressively though, Martha’s emotional journey towards healing feels authentic. Most importantly, while it sits in the soul-shattering pain of loss, Pieces explores the complex relationship between healing and forgiveness. While admittedly, some of the dialogue in the film’s climactic courtroom battle feels forced, Martha’s journey towards emotional freedom lies rooted in her ability to release blame. As anyone who has experienced grief can tell you, moments such as these rightly cause anyone to search for answers. But what if none can be found? How we answer these questions ultimately determine our ability to begin to move forward and Pieces wrestles with these questions beautifully.

Undeniably, as the husband in our relationship, I will not (nor should I) claim to fully understand what my wife when through during our family struggles. In that way, I recognize my limited blinders in truly connecting with the material of Pieces of a Woman. Nonetheless, my personal experiences in grief does provide a certain perspective to this film that I cannot separate from my appreciation for it. I’m sure that, if I tried, I could find plot holes and question things like the soundtrack, etc. Though, to me, that’s simply not the point of Pieces. 

This is a film which, not only has some of the best performances of the year, but also depicts the nature of grief in a way that remains sensitive to those who have struggled in silence. That’s a testament not only to the cast but also to Weber and Mundruzco’s willingness to explore their own battle with grief in a way that could only stem from experience.

Because, frankly, unless you’ve been through it, you simply don’t know.

Pieces of a Woman is available on Netflix on January 7th, 2021. 

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Film Festivals, Netflix, Reviews, TIFF Tagged With: Ellen Burstyn, Pieces of a Woman, Shia LaBouef, Vanessa Kirby

Lucy in the Sky: Failure to Launch

December 18, 2019 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Lucy in the Sky tells the story of Lucy Cola, an astronaut who returns home to Earth after a length mission. Although her life consists of a loving relationship with her husband, Drew (Dan Stevens), and a job that she loves, Lucy feels restless and struggles to reintegrate herself into her daily routine. Looking for the thrill that she has left behind, she becomes involved with roguish astronaut Mark Goodwin (Jon Hamm) and begins to lose touch with reality in a world that is quickly becoming too small for her.  

Written and directed by Noah Hawley (FX’s Fargo), Lucy in the Sky is an ambitious look at the tensions that can take place when our lives simply don’t measure up to our dreams. Based loosely on a true story of a female astronaut who suffered an emotional breakdown after returning to Earth, Lucy depicts its titular star as one who yearns for the rush of the heavens yet remains trapped by her everyday life. (After all, how can you compare unraveling the mysteries of the universe with ‘mundane’ moments like morning coffee and driving your kid to school?)

Unfortunately, while performances by Portman and Hamm are fine, a muddled script that loses its way prevents Lucy from ever really taking off. Though grand in its vision, Hawley’s film simply doesn’t stay on trajectory, proving unable to properly balance Lucy’s struggles with some over-the-top visuals. (For instance, one scene featuring a cover of The Beatle’s iconic Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds looks great but doesn’t match the pace of the film and simply feels out of place.)

Wearing its heart on its sleeve, Lucy in the Sky is very interested in exploring what happens when one loses sight of what’s truly important. Though a decorated astronaut, Lucy struggles to see the beauty of everyday life. Having witnessed the Earth from the perspective of the heavens, Lucy has lost all sense of wonder for anything on the ground.

Despite the fact that she is cared for and appreciated by those around her, she views her life as increasingly mundane, inviting reckless behavior as she attempts to fill the void of meaninglessness that has crept inside her soul. In doing so, Lucy demonstrates on a grand scale what happens when so many often lose sight of the importance of genuine love and relationships over accomplishments. Desperate to return to the heavens, she is willing to sacrifice everything—and everyone—around her in order to once again feel the rush of success and beauty. At the same time, Lucy gradually loses a piece of her soul as her passion gives way to obsession. 

For Lucy, the only thing left that can be good in the world is for her to feel all powerful again by returning to the heavens. However, as a result, the healing quality of loving relationships slowly becomes lost, leaving her without emotional grounding or hope.

Though ambitious in its scope, a confusing script hampers Lucy in the Sky from launching to the heights it could have reached. However, despite its glaring flaws, Lucy does features solid performances from an underused supporting cast that includes Ellen Burstyn, Nick Offerman, Zazie Beetz and Stevens. Even so, despite expectations that soar to the heavens, the finest of talent can’t help a script that is unable to get off the ground.

Filed Under: Film, Film Festivals, Reviews, TIFF Tagged With: Dan Stevens, Ellen Burstyn, Jon Hamm, Lucy in the Sky, Natalie Portman, Nick Offerman, Noah Hawley, Zazie Beetz

TIFF ’19: Lucy in the Sky

September 11, 2019 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Lucy in the Sky tells the story of Lucy Cola, an astronaut who returns home to Earth after a length mission. Although her life consists of a loving relationship with her husband, Drew (Dan Stevens) and a job that she loves, Lucy feels restless and struggles to reintegrate herself into her daily routine. Looking for the thrill that she has left behind, she becomes involved with roguish astronaut Mark Goodwin (Jon Hamm) and begins to lose touch with reality in a world that is quickly becoming too small for her.  

Written and directed by Noah Hawley (FX’s Fargo), Lucy in the Sky is an ambitious look at the tensions that can take place when our lives simply don’t measure up to our dreams. Based loosely on a true story of a female astronaut who suffered an emotional breakdown after returning to Earth, Lucy depicts its titular star as one who yearns for the rush of the heavens yet remains trapped by her everyday life. Unfortunately, while performances by Portman and Hamm are fine, a muddled script that loses its way prevents Lucy from ever really taking off. Though grand in its vision, Hawley’s film simply doesn’t stay on trajectory, proving unable to properly balance Lucy’s struggles with some over-the-top visuals.

Though ambitious in its scope, a confusing script hampers Lucy in the Sky from launching to the heights it could have reached. However, despite its glaring flaws, Lucy does features solid performances from an underused supporting cast that includes Ellen Burstyn, Nick Offerman, Zazie Beetz and Stevens. Even so, despite expectations that soar to the heavens, the finest of talent can’t help a script that is unable to get off the ground.

Lucy in the Sky had its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and launches into theatres on Friday, October 4th, 2019. 

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: Ellen Burstyn, Jon Hamm, Natalie Portman, Nick Offerman, Noah Hawley, Zazie Beetz

Age Of Adaline: Coming To Grips With Life & Love

September 8, 2015 by Jacob Sahms Leave a Comment

ageofadaline

 

If we’re honest with ourselves, we have questions about what happens next. In the next five minutes, the next five years, in the next … hereafter. Our fiction reflects this, as we read stories and watch movies about people who live forever, people who create technology to extend life, and people who come back from death. Sometimes, those stories are heroic, sometimes they are horrific, and sometimes, they’re beautiful.

The Age of Adaline is one such movie.

Blake Lively stars as Adaline, a young woman in perpetuation. In 1908, Adaline loses her husband and soon ends up in a car accident where she’s fatally injured, as a result of a once-in-a-lifetime snow. A combination of freezing cold temperatures and electric shock bring Adaline back from the dead – and into a lifetime of never aging.

One hundred and seven years later, Adaline lives a life that is repetitive: she gets close to people under an assumed name, and flees when things are getting too close for comfort. It’s like The Runaway Bride or anything else where people can’t commit (try reality) but the weighty experience of Adaline’s never aging adds something to it. [It helps that Lively plays her as a woman out of and above time.] What mother wants to see her child (Ellen Burstyn) age while time stands still for her?

When Adaline falls for Ellis (Michael Huisman), she wants to run, again. But she discovers that Ellis’ father (Harrison Ford) was once her confidant and lover, in another time and place, and his awareness of who she is means that she’s forced to confront her serial escapes. What will happen when she knows that she’s been found out? What will she stand to lose if there’s a reckoning for her true age?

A blend of science fiction, fantasy, romance, and clever humor, The Age of Adaline was more than I expected. Some of the same attributes have been played out and explored in Superman’s relationship with Lois Lane (Grant Morrison did it quite well), but we often fail to consider why we are terminal. We fail to see the cost of living forever (if only we do) or what we would know and have experienced about ourselves if we were forced to continue perpetually. There’s a reason we were jettisoned from the Garden of Eden, actually or metaphorically, because we can’t handle wrestling with and experiencing over and over again the poor choices that we have made.

This is a romance, but it’s also a philosophical exploration of what it means to be human and what it means to love someone with everything on the line.

Filed Under: DVD, Film, Reviews Tagged With: Blake Lively, Ellen Burstyn, Harrison Ford, Michael Huisman

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