4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days
4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days won the Palm D'or at last year's Cannes Film Festival. And while I don't think it is as good as some of its competitors (No Country for Old Men and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) it is a damn good film.
The story takes place in Communist Romania. Otilia (Annamaria Marinca) and Gabita (Laura Vasiliu) are roommates and university students. Gabita is pregnant and wants to get an abortion. Otilia is going to help her with this. Since abortion is illegal in Romania this is no easy task. But they have found a willing person - a vile man named Mr. Bebe (Vlad Ivanov).
Writer/director Cristian Mungiu has done a terrific job of making this film. It is not really about taking sides in the abortion debate. He just wants to show how difficult it was to obtain an abortion in those days. The film is filled with tension (one such scene is when Otilia goes to the birthday party for her boyfriend Adi's (Alexandru Potocean) mother. She would rather be with Gabita and her face reveals the discomfort she feels being there. In fact the film has so much tension that I felt tense sitting in my seat and watching it.
Vasiliu is very good as the timid Gabita as is Ivanov as the chilly Bebe. But the film belongs to Marinca. Her face and body language says it all. She is definitely an actress to watch.
This film does not have any easy answers. I am pro-choice but making the choice is very difficult. And I am only pro-choice for the first trimester unless there are circumstances that make it necessary to abort later on (the life or health of the mother being the prime one). I highly recommend this film but I must say that there are some graphic images that might disturb some people (and they should). 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days does not pull any punches and that is why it is such a good film.
The story takes place in Communist Romania. Otilia (Annamaria Marinca) and Gabita (Laura Vasiliu) are roommates and university students. Gabita is pregnant and wants to get an abortion. Otilia is going to help her with this. Since abortion is illegal in Romania this is no easy task. But they have found a willing person - a vile man named Mr. Bebe (Vlad Ivanov).
Writer/director Cristian Mungiu has done a terrific job of making this film. It is not really about taking sides in the abortion debate. He just wants to show how difficult it was to obtain an abortion in those days. The film is filled with tension (one such scene is when Otilia goes to the birthday party for her boyfriend Adi's (Alexandru Potocean) mother. She would rather be with Gabita and her face reveals the discomfort she feels being there. In fact the film has so much tension that I felt tense sitting in my seat and watching it.
Vasiliu is very good as the timid Gabita as is Ivanov as the chilly Bebe. But the film belongs to Marinca. Her face and body language says it all. She is definitely an actress to watch.
This film does not have any easy answers. I am pro-choice but making the choice is very difficult. And I am only pro-choice for the first trimester unless there are circumstances that make it necessary to abort later on (the life or health of the mother being the prime one). I highly recommend this film but I must say that there are some graphic images that might disturb some people (and they should). 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days does not pull any punches and that is why it is such a good film.
posted by Film Fanatic | 8:50 PM
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