“Pieces of a Woman”
Whenever Martin Scorsese puts his name on a project as exec producer, we’re prone to turn our heads. Hungarian director Kornél Mundruczó’s first English language film, “Pieces of a Woman,” is another question mark 2020 release set to screen at a pair of festivals. Vanessa Kirby and Shia LaBeouf play Martha and Sean, a Bostonian couple who bear witness to a midwife (Molly Parker, “Deadwood”) that finds herself looking at criminal negligence charges after a home birth. The director was inspired by a personal experience he shared with his co-writer Kata Wéber. Also starring Sarah Snook, Iliza Shlesinger, Jimmy Fails (has everyone watched “The Last Black Man In San Francisco” yet?), Ellen Burstyn, and – quite amusingly, considering the Scorsese credit – Benny Safdie, the legendary Italian director has had nothing but raves about Mundruczó’s filmmaking, singing high, high praise about his upcoming picture (but what’s your favorite Eminem song, Marty?). – AB
“The World To Come”
Based on a story collection from writer Jim Shepard, we don’t know a whole lot about Brooklyn-based filmmaker Mona Fastvold’s adaptation of “The World to Come” – as the source material is comprised of 10 different tales, we assume the plot is based on one of them. Starring Katherine Waterson, Vanessa Kirby, Christopher Abbot, and Casey Affleck, Abigail (Waterson) lives a lonely existence, journaling in her spare time on her husband Dyer’s (Affleck) farm. When another couple arrives on a neighboring plot of land, Abigail finds herself drawn to Finney (Kirby), a farmer’s wife with an independent spirit. As the husbands grow covetous of their betrothed’s growing connection, Finney sets her sights on pursuing a life with Abigail. Shepard is a well-regarded scribe and Fastvold has a strong body of work to her name, but like many of festival titles, whether it ends up a 2020 release is up in the air. – AB
“Zola”
“Y’all wanna hear a story about why me & this bitch here fell out? It’s kind of long but full of suspense.” As we noted at Sundance (Jessica Kiang absolutely slaying it), “Zola” will likely be remembered for its immortal opening line, as the movie “walks a very difficult line between feminist reclamation and misogynist exploitation.” Based on a 148-post long Twitter thread that recounted the story of Zola’s (Taylour Paige) pole dancing, road trip, bonding experience with a woman named Stefani (Riley Keough), who turned out to be a sex worker with an abusive pimp (Colman Domingo), Janicza Bravo’s second feature is sure to spark conversation due to its impenitent subject matter. A little “Spring Breakers,” and a little bit “Hustlers,” “Zola” paints a cynical world of awful men that is resplendently over the top and unashamed to titillate. –AB
