James Christopher
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From
January 10, 2008
4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days
4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days is a stunning and demanding watch. Every frame of Cristian Mungiu’s Romanian drama set in the 1980s about two female students trying to arrange an illegal abortion is brilliantly thought out. The stakes are high: there are lengthy prison sentences for women who abort. The realism would be unbearable if it wasn’t such a gripping and beautifully painted story. This is a chapter of history most Romanians are desperate to forget.
The bond between the girls is tested to breaking point in the cheap hotel room they are forced to rent. Laura Vasiliu’s white lies about the exact number of months, weeks and days she has been pregnant puts her friend in an impossible position. Vlad Ivanov’s vicious back-street quack demands favours above and beyond the money. The howls of stray dogs put a feral edge on the night. The strain on Anamaria Marinca’s pinched white face speaks volumes. The premise might sound as bleak as a Soviet cement wall, but the film is brilliantly composed and riveting – please see it.
Cert 15, 113mins
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I saw the movie last autumn and it was a shocker even for the people from Romania - brilliant portrait of the society in those days. I have to disagree with a certain previous comment and say that at one point in the movie you can see some things that are in Romania only nowadays ( for example the modern frames of the windows ) , so i was a little bit disappointed with the director's attention to detail. Too bad it didn't win an oscar nomination. Shame on the Academy, because it trully is a great movie!
Andrei Cristian, Bucharest, Romania
the hotel room was NOT cheap for those times. it may have looked cheap, but dwellings were not supposed to look glamorous because wealth was only reserved to the highly placed members of the Communist Party who were more "equal" than the rest of the population. the attention to detail reflecting the everyday life during those times is impeccable.
and yes, the film is wonderful.
Cristina, London,
It is a really beautiful film. I have seen the film in Paris a month ago and still thinking about, a truly great film. James Christopher is right, is stunning and is brilliant.
Jacques, Twickenham,