4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days
(B+ or 3.5/4 stars)
How in the name of fairness did '4 Months, 3 Weeks, & 2 Days' NOT get nominated for this yrs. Oscar award for Best Foreign film? Heck, it could have won the whole shebang. In this stark, realistic drama written & directed by Romanian Cristian Mungiu, we watch a woman, Otilia (Annamaria Marinca), assist her friend, Gabita (Laura Vasiliu), to arrange her illegal abortion in Communist Romania. This film doesn't have anything to say about the pro-choice/pro-life issue. It's just a story; being told in a very particular place & time. Some scenes drag. But really, that is the only complaint I have about this disturbing & masterful film.
We begin at the end of Romania's Ceausescu regime, 1987: The climate is cold. Businesses are suffering. The black market is open for sale of cigarettes, shampoo, and the like. The Soviet-esque dictatorship has its' brutal grip on the whole country. No one is happy ... though, none more than Gabita. At university, she & her friend Otilia go over the fine details of arranging her abortion later that day. Gabita is sick from fear. So the brunt of the planning rests on her good friends' shoulders. Through the friend of a friend of a friend, Gabita has hired a Mr. Bebe (Vlad Ivanov) to perform the illegal abortion. Because the process is too complex for her to handle, Gabita screws up the instructions for meeting Mr. Bebe. i.e., she didn't book a room at the correct hotel; didn't come to the 1st meeting herself; worst of all, she lies to him about how far along she is ... by a 2 months difference. Such mistakes are 'almost' unforgivable to Mr. Bebe.
He's an imposing man. Curt, blunt, and quick to point out that if they are caught, it's up to 10 yrs. in prison for the lot of them. What price would Bebe 'now' charge for all these unfortunate blunders? Well, the price literally, physically, & emotionally goes way up. And the girls become horrified by his new asking 'price'. Not only does Gabita have to go through this terrifying procedure (probes, pills, infection, disposal of the fetus), but Otilia has her own set of problems. She must leave Gabita to fulfill a promise to her boyfriend; get flowers for his mom, and meet her for the first time at a family party. But the ramifications of the past 12 hours take a huge toll on everyone involved. And the entire experience may have simultaneously ruined 3 relationships. Can they ever forget this day?
'4,3,2' (as I'll call it) is a grueling film to sit through. There are instances where I found myself cringing at mere discussions btwn. characters; it gets under your skin. I wouldn't necessarily say the movie is kinetic (there's far too many long, uninterrupted static shots that ride the fine line of entering tedium), but it IS very tense. I'm reminded of 2004's Vera Drake, a film that touched upon the same topic. That film is good, but contains much more melodrama than this film. '4,3,2' is dark, minimalist, rough & gritty. The characters are forced to deal with the consequences of their every action. When I say minimalist, I mean: everything that is not essential to the 108 min. story is stripped away. The plot revolves around the minutia that makes up these people's lives; as they struggle both physically & morally to complete the daunting task at hand. However, an ingenious aspect of this movie is that a think-it-up-for-yourself subplot arises when Otilia snatches a switchblade from Bebe's abortion kit. Nothing comes of it. But in your mind, you can put the pieces together & imagine what may occur far after the credits roll.
'4,3,2' has many strengths. The establishment of the characters is superb. The details of their situation are well laid out. And the acting is great. Because the film is so deliberate, unwavering, & realistic, the performances really take center stage. There are 2 things from this film that I will never forget. 1) The sadness & honesty in Annamaria Marinca's eyes, and 2) the bleak wasteland that was 1987 Romania. Now, there are slow parts. They come close to breaking the spell that's cast over us. But this is the type of movie that you'll find yourself thinking about even more so the day after seeing it. It has that subtle staying power.
We begin at the end of Romania's Ceausescu regime, 1987: The climate is cold. Businesses are suffering. The black market is open for sale of cigarettes, shampoo, and the like. The Soviet-esque dictatorship has its' brutal grip on the whole country. No one is happy ... though, none more than Gabita. At university, she & her friend Otilia go over the fine details of arranging her abortion later that day. Gabita is sick from fear. So the brunt of the planning rests on her good friends' shoulders. Through the friend of a friend of a friend, Gabita has hired a Mr. Bebe (Vlad Ivanov) to perform the illegal abortion. Because the process is too complex for her to handle, Gabita screws up the instructions for meeting Mr. Bebe. i.e., she didn't book a room at the correct hotel; didn't come to the 1st meeting herself; worst of all, she lies to him about how far along she is ... by a 2 months difference. Such mistakes are 'almost' unforgivable to Mr. Bebe.
He's an imposing man. Curt, blunt, and quick to point out that if they are caught, it's up to 10 yrs. in prison for the lot of them. What price would Bebe 'now' charge for all these unfortunate blunders? Well, the price literally, physically, & emotionally goes way up. And the girls become horrified by his new asking 'price'. Not only does Gabita have to go through this terrifying procedure (probes, pills, infection, disposal of the fetus), but Otilia has her own set of problems. She must leave Gabita to fulfill a promise to her boyfriend; get flowers for his mom, and meet her for the first time at a family party. But the ramifications of the past 12 hours take a huge toll on everyone involved. And the entire experience may have simultaneously ruined 3 relationships. Can they ever forget this day?
'4,3,2' (as I'll call it) is a grueling film to sit through. There are instances where I found myself cringing at mere discussions btwn. characters; it gets under your skin. I wouldn't necessarily say the movie is kinetic (there's far too many long, uninterrupted static shots that ride the fine line of entering tedium), but it IS very tense. I'm reminded of 2004's Vera Drake, a film that touched upon the same topic. That film is good, but contains much more melodrama than this film. '4,3,2' is dark, minimalist, rough & gritty. The characters are forced to deal with the consequences of their every action. When I say minimalist, I mean: everything that is not essential to the 108 min. story is stripped away. The plot revolves around the minutia that makes up these people's lives; as they struggle both physically & morally to complete the daunting task at hand. However, an ingenious aspect of this movie is that a think-it-up-for-yourself subplot arises when Otilia snatches a switchblade from Bebe's abortion kit. Nothing comes of it. But in your mind, you can put the pieces together & imagine what may occur far after the credits roll.
'4,3,2' has many strengths. The establishment of the characters is superb. The details of their situation are well laid out. And the acting is great. Because the film is so deliberate, unwavering, & realistic, the performances really take center stage. There are 2 things from this film that I will never forget. 1) The sadness & honesty in Annamaria Marinca's eyes, and 2) the bleak wasteland that was 1987 Romania. Now, there are slow parts. They come close to breaking the spell that's cast over us. But this is the type of movie that you'll find yourself thinking about even more so the day after seeing it. It has that subtle staying power.