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Shia LaBouef

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

The Tax Collector: Dealing Righteous Justice

September 8, 2020 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Say what you will about David Ayer but he knows how to get your attention.

While he has dabbled in recent years in more ‘studio fare’ such as DC’s widely panned Suicide Squad and Netflix’s Bright, Ayers success as a storyteller has always depended on his ability to push boundaries and build intensity. With The Tax Collector, the writer/director brings back the bullets and blood with a story that is both intense and gripping.

The Tax Collector returns writer/director Ayer to the streets with a dark and gritty look at the Los Angeles drug wars. Working as muscle for a local criminal kingpin, ‘The Wizard’, David (Bobby Soto) and Creeper (Shia LeBoeuf) are charged with collecting the protection ‘taxes’ from local drug dealers. Off duty, David is a loving husband and father who tries to keep the criminal world separate from his home life. However, when new drug lord Conejo (Jose Conejo Martin) tries to force his way into Wizard’s territory, the rivalry takes a dark turn and David is forced to decide where his allegiance truly lies.

With The Tax Collector, Ayer looks more comfortable behind the camera than he has in years. When he’s free from the expectations of studio franchises, Ayer is often at his best. While subtly isn’t word that’s associated with his work, his signature style of brutality can create intense and truly fascinating worlds that are worth exploring. (In fact, this need to express himself graphically may also be why his work on PG-13 franchises such as Squad and Bright have been met with lukewarm to negative responses.)

As such, just like much of his earlier work, Tax Collector is not for the faint of heart. With a tone that’s closer to End of Watch than Suicide Squad, Ayer unleashes his violent visuals with both barrels. Although many directors use gun-play and blood splatters to thrill the audience, he uses it here to disturb, showcasing the all-devouring evil of the opposing gangs. Leads Soto and LeBoeuf (who also worked with Ayer in 2016’s Fury) work well together as loyal but lethal partners, David and Creeper. Though both men appear menacing at ‘work’, their characters never fully lose their humanity and appear genuine in more intimate scenes.

With this in mind, the most fascinating aspect of Ayer’s film is the clear religious lines drawn within the gang wars themselves. Charged with extracting what is owed to ‘the Wizard’ by any means necessary, David and Creeper are feared by those they visit. Yet, despite the brutal nature of their jobs, David remains devoutly religious, praying for his family’s safety and trying to honour his faith. (Admittedly, there’s a certain sense of irony that David is willing to threaten people for money yet he struggles with the ‘demonic’ use of yoga.) Whereas Creeper may be the one who performs most of the actual violence, David seems to view his character as an agent of righteous justice against those who have broken the code of ‘the way things are done’. 

In The Tax Collector, honour and righteousness are one and the same.

What’s more, David’s strength of spiritual character is held in direct juxtaposition to the villainous Conejo. For example, although David with a sense of righteous honour to ensure that people obey, Conejo plays by his own rules. As he rises in power, Conejo is portrayed as the fullest depiction of demonic evil, complete with ritual sacrifice. At the expense of everyone who stands in his way, power and control remain his only goals. 

However, held in contrast to the darkness of Conejo, David is shown an angel of light, maintaining the purity of his soul yet empowered to inflict God’s wrath when needed. Caught between two worlds, David’s heart yearns for love and yet his hands are prepared to dish out Old Testament vengeance. As things begin to escalate between the two men, the lines begin to blur and David must decide what it means to be a man of honour. (In fact, he and his crew even suggest that their revenge is a way for them to ‘cleanse themselves of sin’.)

Despite being visceral and brutal, The Tax Collector is a return to form for Ayer and showcases what an intense storyteller he can be when given the opportunity. Collector may operate within a world without law but Ayer gives it a moral code and spiritual heart that are compelling to watch.

The Tax Collector is available on VOD on September 8th, 2020. 

Filed Under: Film, Reviews, VOD Tagged With: Bobby Soto, David Ayer, George Lopez, Shia LaBouef, The Tax Collector

The Peanut Butter Falcon – Heart of a Hero

November 12, 2019 by Darrel Manson Leave a Comment

One of the basic frameworks for a plot is The Hero Takes a Journey. It is seen in The Odyssey, any number of road movies, as well as the Gospel According to Luke. The Peanut Butter Falcon (winner of an audience award at SXSW) is the latest iteration of that plotline. The heroes may seem a bit unlikely, but it is the trip itself which reveals heroism.

The Peanut Butter Falcon

Zak (Zack Gottsagen) is a young man with Down syndrome who has escaped a nursing home wearing only his briefs. His dream is to go to a pro wrestling school run by the Salt Water Redneck (Thomas Haden Church). While hiding out in a boat, Zak becomes connected with Tyler (Shia LaBeouf) a small time criminal on the run from some angry fisherman he has crossed. As Tyler makes his way through the Outer Banks towards Florida, Zak follows along, a bit to Tyler’s chagrin. Meanwhile the fishermen are trying to track down Tyler, and Eleanor (Dakota Johnson), a young kind-hearted caregiver from the rest home, is trying to find Zak and return him. And so, the adventures begin.

At the screening I attended, the co-writers/directors (Tyler Nilson and Mike Schwartz) told the crowd that they made this film because Zack Gottsagen wanted to be a movie star. They had volunteered at Zeno Mountain Farm, an organization that works with people of many handicaps. Sometimes their task is to make a film. (Cf. the documentary Becoming Bulletproof.) They met Zack there and became friends. They decided to create an opportunity for Zack to fulfill his dream.

The Peanut Butter Falcon

Because Down syndrome is a part of Zak’s character, the story inevitably has an aspect about overcoming obstacles to fulfill dreams. And the film has a bit of inspirational quality because of that. But that is not the main focus of the story. More important are questions of belonging, and knowing who you are. Zak’s struggles provide the catalyst for these other, more universal themes to be examined.

Early in the film we get the line, “Friends are the family you choose.” As Zak and Tyler travel together, a bond is formed that is strengthened as they meet each problem on the way. When Eleanor reluctantly joins them, a more complex relationship begins to grow. Each of these three has no one else in their lives. Zak has become a ward of the state because his family can’t provide for his special needs, Tyler is suffering grief and guilt over his brother’s death. Eleanor has been widowed (although her grief isn’t really explored). As different as they all are, they begin to find fulfillment in the “family” they are becoming.

The Peanut Butter Falcon

But on the individual level, the story focuses on who we are by nature. It first comes up one night as Tyler and Zak are under the stars. Zak dreams of being a wrestler and wants to be a bad guy. But Tyler tells him that he has the heart of the hero, so he’ll never be able to be a villain. Tyler is uncertain how to answer if he himself is a good guy or bad buy, but Zak knows.

That theme is approached in a slightly different perspective in a scene involving a blind preacher. As he prepares to baptize Zak, he notes that there are wolves and sheep in this world. He can tell that the two of them are sheep, but that the wolves are after them. He offers baptism as a kind of protection from the wolves of the world. (Which is an interesting—and not unsound—understanding of baptism.)

As this theme of good guy/bad guy plays out, we see that not only is Tyler right about Zak having the heart of a hero, but that through his time with Zak, we see that Tyler has a hero’s heart as well.

The Peanut Butter Falcon

Road movies such as this are usually about the change the journey brings to the characters. The Peanut Butter Falcon is not so much about transformation as it is about revealing what might be hidden in rough or seemingly broken exteriors.

Special features include a photo gallery, a theatrical trailer, and “Zack’s Story: The Making of the Peanut Butter Falcon.”

Photos courtesy of Roadside Attractions and Armory Films

Filed Under: Film, Reviews Tagged With: Dakota Johnson, Down Syndrome, Mike Schwartz, road movie, Shia LaBouef, Thomas Haden Church, Tyler Nilson, Zack Gottsagen

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