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4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (4 luni, 3 saptamini si 2 zile)

Buzz says:   MPAA Rating: NR
Current Showtimes: No showtimes available

After amassing an impressive collection of accolades, including the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, the acclaimed Romanian film 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days has finally arrived at Boardman’s Theater in downtown Champaign.

The film takes place during the final years of Ceausescu’s communist Romania and revolves mostly around two college roommates: Gabita and Otilia. Gabita, well into her second trimester of pregnancy at the onset of the film, attempts to arrange an illegal abortion with Otilia’s aid.

Somewhat surprisingly, the movie does not preach or dwell on the morality of undergoing an abortion and Gabita is never shown grappling with the decision to have it performed (although it’s obvious that at some point she did). Instead, we are given a strikingly genuine portrait of two young women struggling through an unbearably difficult time in their lives during an era when government intrusion and smuggling of basic necessities were the norm.

Perhaps the film’s greatest asset is its minimalist perspective from both a narrative and cinematic point of view. The camera is often left stationary, allowing characters to drift in and out of frame as they perform a task or carry on conversation in long takes. This approach works well as it doesn’t interfere with or attempt to enhance what is already a gripping series of events.

A similar “hands-off” approach is taken with the film’s narrative, and while the lack of a clear message might frustrate some audiences, the magnitude of the situation itself provides plenty to digest in one’s mind after the credits have rolled.

Overall, 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days provides a refreshing diversion for the theatergoer looking to broaden their horizons before the onslaught of mind-numbing summer blockbusters begins.