This is such a powerful and evocative title for a movie. It conjures up disturbing images. A woman is a whole, a woman is a sum total of all her pieces; she is a life giver, she can be a destroyer of many worlds; she breathes and soars and she can fold her wings and withdraw into a remote cold shell.
A young mother loses her baby in childbirth and her life falls apart. How does one cope with grief of such magnitude, that personal void that refuses to fill and leaves a dark hole inside? Should one become numb, erase the memory, forget the pain or find refuge in assigning blame, look for someone to externalise the tragedy and to find closure by seeking a culprit, either within or without?
This is Vanessa Kirby’s film. She is intense, deeply moving, benumbed and distanced in her portrayal of a grieving mother. She frustrates and haunts at the same time in this story of how a woman copes with the loss of a piece of her body, her very own flesh and blood, her daughter that was not meant to be!
The narrative unfolds slowly by design and can be demanding but the film redeems itself in the denouement and affirms the singular truth about life. That it must go on and that we need to come to terms with our grief and sow seeds afresh. To move on to possible new beginnings and happy endings.
It’s a tough watch but rewarding.
Where to Watch: Netflix
Rating: 3.5/5
By Sanjay Trehan
