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| 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days | 
 enlarge | Director: Cristian Mungiu
Actors: Anamaria Marinca, Laura Vasiliu, Vlad Ivanov, Alexandru Potocean, Ion Sapdaru
Studio: IFC Films
Category: DVD
List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $11.99
You Save: $12.96 (52%)
New (38) Used (13) from $11.79
Avg. Customer Rating:  24 reviews
Sales Rank: 2276
Format: Color, Dvd-video, Ntsc, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English (Subtitled)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 113
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: 81247
UPC: 796019812474
EAN: 0796019812474
ASIN: B00151QYE4
Theatrical Release Date: 2007
Release Date: October 14, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand new, factory sealed Genius/IFC R1 release. Ships first class. Slipcase in excellent condition. In stock. Not a bootleg or import. Ships USPS first class (expedited ships priority) with delivery confirmation and e-mail notification of shipping. Sorry, no Indiana sales.
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Product Description
Studio: Genius Products Inc Release Date: 10/14/2008 Run time: 113 minutes
Amazon.com
There was a loud outcry when Romania's 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days failed to garner a 2008 Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Film, and it could certainly be argued that this extraordinary movie was unfairly overlooked. At the very least, had it been nominated, it would have offered a stark contrast to Best Picture contender Juno. Whereas the latter is a funny, touching tale of a teenage girl who decides to find more suitable parents for her soon-to-be-born child, 4 Months is a decidedly bleak look at a time and place when one of the two alternatives to adoption (i.e., keeping the child) is beyond consideration and the other is an illegal, highly dangerous last resort. It takes a while for the viewer to realize that abortion is the subject of director Cristian Mungiu's film; for the first 40 minutes or so, all we know is that Otilia (Anamaria Marinca) and Gabita (Laura Vasiliu), college roommates in a country still controlled by the Ceausescu dictatorship, are up to something they'd prefer to keep secret. Gabita, it develops, is pregnant. She is also an innocent, scared screw-up who's unable to handle any of the necessary details involved in solving her problem, which obliges the far more capable Otilia to take care of everything from booking the hotel and meeting the abortionist to buying black market cigarettes for the pair. What follows is anything but cute, clever, or romantic. Mr. Bebe (Vlad Ivanov), the abortionist, is a straightforward but frightening character who demands more than money for his services. Meanwhile, Adi, Otilia's boyfriend, is a decent but essentially clueless fellow who insists that she attend his mother's birthday party on the very day that the two girls have checked into the hotel where Gabita's procedure takes place; the two scenes in which we meet Bebe and Adi's parents, reveal Mongiu's mastery of his medium and are at once intense, discomfiting, and completely riveting. And if Oscar voters missed the boat, many other didn't: among numerous other plaudits for the film was the '07 Palme d'Or at Cannes. --Sam Graham
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| Customer Reviews: Read 19 more reviews...
 Bravo! January 7, 2009
Haven't seen much Romanian cinema. Any, that is, before "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days". Looks like it's time to brush up; this film is one of the most finely tuned machines I've seen in months.
No country for young women December 28, 2008
Otilia (Anamaria Marinca) is a college student who agrees to help her roommate (Gabita played by Laura Vasiliu) obtain an illegal abortion in 1980s Communist Romania. The two girls, unfortunately, are completely naive as to what will be involved. As a result, they make several key blunders that threaten not just whether the abortion will succeed but their psychological well-being too.
"4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days" focuses on the dangers of the illegal abortion, but the film also illustrates in small and large ways the oppressiveness of living in Communist Romania. The girls have to show their ID cards every time they go to their hotel room, they have to buy most items on the black market, and the police and other authoritarian figures seem to be a constant presence. "4 Months" received stellar reviews when released, but I avoided it initially, fearing that it would be preachy or heavy-handed. I couldn't have been more wrong. Although the film is a drama, it often plays as a tense thriller. The abortion may kill Gabita, but it's just one threat she and Otilia face.
The movie was filmed on hand-held digital cameras, which adds an immediacy and urgency. At times, the camerawork is blurry, particularly a night scene with Otilia, but that just adds to the realism of the story. "4 Months" is the kind of film that actually benefits from its small budget and primitive camera work, and I look forward to seeing more work from director Cristian Mungiu in the future. The acting is also naturalistic, which again adds realism to the story. Anamaria Marinca is excellent - we can feel her growing weariness and frustration just by reading her face and tone of voice (which is sometimes difficult to do with a foreign language film). Vlad Ivanov turns in a fascinating performance as the creepy abortionist; he's one of the more menacing yet controlled characters I've seen on the screen. It all adds up to a heart-breaking portrait of what can happen in totalitarian societies where everything has its price.
The film was nominated for numerous "foreign film" prizes, including the Golden Globe. The Oscars overlooked the movie, even though it was Romania's official selection; I'm not sure why it failed to earn a nomination. Finally, "4 Months" won the Palm d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, where it beat "No Country for Old Men."
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days - A Landmark Film December 19, 2008
2 out of 5 found this review helpful
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days tells the story of Gabita, played by Laura Vasiliu, as she deals with an unplanned pregnancy with the aid of her college roommate, Otilia, played by Anamaria Marinca. Both of these actresses do a wonderful job, and each of their characters provides an important point of view to the story.
To be honest, even outlining the plot is somewhat of a spoiler, even though the story is plastered all over the DVD case and product page. That is because the film is crafted in such a way that what is happening on the screen sneaks up on you. While this kind of story could easily be made into a caricature of itself or a political statement, the treatment here is nuanced and powerful. No film can represent reality 100%, but the filmmaker succeeds in masterfully telling a thought-provoking story in a way that feels real and presents many sides of the situation.
This is a film that I had heard about long before I ever got to see it. Indeed, hype alone is often enough to make people rate a film much more harshly than it deserves. All one has to do is evaluate the comments regarding Juno (Single-Disc Edition) to understand that when a good film garners attention, many people begin to expect a *perfect* film. Upon seeing the film, it is easy to feel disappointed. Each person has their own preconcieved notion of what is good in film.
And yet this movie does indeed deserve all of the praise it has been given. That is not to say that it is perfect, because nothing is perfect. Nor is it a documentary, but rather one film-makers subjective telling of a story. That comes with the necessary infusion of personal beliefs that go along with a subjective telling. And yet, from a technical and artistic perspective, this film is still an achievement that deserves the accolades that have been bestowed upon it.
The main themes of this movie have been described ad nauseum. Yet I think, as this film tries to portray one form of reality, just like reality this film can and may have been misunderstood.
One of the aspects of this film that has attracted attention is the political and social reality of Ceausescu's communist Romania during the depicted period. Many medical procedures were against the law and the governement was agressively pursuing a strategy of population growth. While it is impossible not to draw some conclusions about the communist government that is a part of that reality, I would caution those who would simplistically assume this film presents a one-sided political verdict against one type of government.
My own personal interpretation of this film is that it depicts some of the good and bad that people under any system are capable of. Some will make great sacrifices to help others, and some will use the system to take advantage of the defenseless. This is no different today then it was then. The differences between countries and laws are significant and worth noting. But they should not overpower the larger message of this story.
Do yourself a favor. See this movie with an open mind. Do not view it as a political statement, but rather as the work of art that it is. Undoubtedly, politics and art do go hand in hand. But once in a while a film comes along that transcends the limits of a one-sided view and truly does tell a message that includes the multiplicity of the real world. While one can find fault with any film, this film deserves credit for what it does right. See it for yourself and make up your own mind.
Enjoy.
tough, unflinching look at illegal abortion December 5, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
The scene is Romania, 1987, two years before the revolution. Under the dictatorship, abortion is illegal. This is a bleak world of food shortages, crumbling buildings, social dereliction -- a society in which everyone watches everyone else. Women must submit to regular compulsory gynecological examinations; doctors have quotas on increasing childbirth.
Gabriela, a young student, is pregnant. She enlists her roommate Otilia, to help her have an illegal abortion.
This is a tough, honest, unflinching movie that could probably never be made in the United States. The camera does not pull away; we are spared very little.
Of course, there is one absolutely appalling act at the heart of this movie -- but it is not the abortion itself. I won't give it away.
We see the girls try to get a hotel room, struggling with unhelpful and intrusive bureaucrats, giving little bribes. Otilia meets the abortionist, who initially comes across as reasonable and is only later revealed as a monster. We see her trying to balance her relationship with her boyfriend and his family, with her duty to her friend, which leads her to risk prison. In one painful scene, she comes to the realization that if she were to get pregnant, she'd be on her own.
This movie features a riveting performance by Anamaria Marinca as Otilia. Her friend, Gabriela, also well played by Laura Valiliu, is weak and selfish and uses her weakness as a tool to manipulate others. The one weak point of this movie is why Otilia is ready to do so much and risk so much for a friend who is so pathetic and unwilling to take responsibility.
There is a political subtext of course. We in the United States are perhaps one or two Supreme Court votes away from returning to a world of underground abortions. That world, as we see in this movie, is evil, dangerous and exploitative. The monstrous things is not the abortion itself but the system that forces women to take such appalling risks.
 Chilling Experience! December 3, 2008
It is a movie which can be termed as terrifying at the same time you will appreciate the superior movie making. The movie takes you so near to the main two characters, that you will start to share their apartment, thoughts, risks and above all, fear.
Great movie! Superb casting and acting!
A must watch for serious film lovers. No light moment in the entire piece!
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