4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days Reviews

Since this movie won the prestigious Golden Palm at Cannes film festival, I was really eager to check it out. As expected, it was really a depressing movie and I’m not sure if I will re-watch it any time soon but, to be honest, I don't really mind. Obviously, if you're looking for a feel-good entertaining movie, you should look somewhere else though. Indeed, there is no doubt that that this story was quite heartbreaking. Of course, it was a drama but, as a matter of fact, I thought it actually felt almost like a thriller sometimes as I was really wondering most of the time what was going to happen next. The directing was not flashy at all, it was in fact very sober but it was probably the best way to handle this subject. After this movie, Cristian Mungiu went to direct some other movies which were also very well received but I haven’t seen them to be honest and, at the time, there was some claim about a New Romanian Cinema but, to be honest, we don’t hear much from this anymore. To conclude, it was a pretty tough watch but I still think it is definitely worth a look, especially if you don’t mind feeling quite depressed after a watching a movie.

Segunda y galardonada película de Cristian Mungiu, joven realizador del nuevo cine rumano. Aborda el tema del aborto clandestino en la figura de una joven estudiante que sólo encuentra apoyo en su compañera de habitación en la residencia estudiantil.

La acción transcurre en la Rumanía de 1987, bajo el dictatorial gobierno de Ceaucescu, y a lo largo de un día que, para el espectador se concentra y ajusta exactamente a la duración de la cinta. Ello debido a que la narración te obliga a implicarte en ella desde su mismo inicio, sin respiro alguno, hasta el final de la misma. Su tono es casi documental, de exquisita sobriedad pero plagado de agudas observaciones y detalles, sin concesiones ni grandilocuencias, en el que no sobra -ni falta- una sola frase... Todo ello hace de esta película, ya desde su mismo título, una brusca y desoladora cuenta atrás en lo que continúa siendo casi una encrucijada social, aún en los denominados países desarrollados.

La excelente interpretación de Anamaria Marinca y la muy eficaz y creíble del resto de actores, junto a una tan sombría como brillante fotografía, sin música (otro acierto), completan y redondean una película que hay que ver. Eso sí: nunca con ánimo de pasar el rato, sino con muchas ganas de ver buen cine, salga lo que salga.

-Crítica Nº 2-

Otillia and Gabita are two college students living in communist Romania during the late 1980's, Gabita is pregnant and wants an abortion, but abortion is illegal under the oppressive regime of the dictator Ceausescu. Otillia helps Gabita by making the arrangements even though it is very dangerous and carries a heavy penalty for anyone involved. This movie is loaded with tension as Otillia tries to help her friend by dealing with surly front desk clerks so she can get the hotel room where Gabita will have the abortion performed and meeting up with the sleazy man who will perform it. There is a sense of fear throughout the movie because in this strict regime everyone is suspicious of each other and your just waiting for the moment when the girls get caught. It is also very realistic in the way that the director filmed it, it's different than the way most American movies are filmed, there are no plot summaries or explanations from the characters, you never find out about the father of Gabitas' baby or anything like that, your just seeing a very bad day in the life of these two women. The two actresses who play Otillia and Gabita are fantastic and the movie really is an emotional punch in the gut and can be hard to watch at times, but I highly recommend it.