stunning
Added 11/12/2009
The rawness of this movie captivates you. I don't think a movie has been this brave in a very long time. It's so real, so righteous, and you're left there really feeling for the characters and their situations. I think it's an absolutely excellent movie.
I think people need to stop being so close-minded and high-horsed, and take this movie for what it is, for the skills that went into making it. Which is complete brilliance.
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A Literal Slice of Life...
Added 11/1/2009
This film won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, and many other awards, but no Oscar recognition. Romanian films may be regarded by the Oscars, eventually. Director Cristian Munglu, with the brilliant, intuitive assistance of actress Anamaria Marinca, has put together a literal "slice of life" about the stigma of the Ceaucescu era. There are many stories to be told about people surviving that era, and this is only one; a sad story of a young woman seeking an abortion.Loyalty of friendship is most explored here, and Ms. Marinca shines like a light. Such conviction! DVD extras explain a lot about the times, but as director Munglu explains, there's no beginnng nor an end...just a slice of real life in a time of general upheaval. Very upsetting subject matter, but handled so very intelligently.
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Flabbergasting.
Added 9/18/2009
Every once in a way there comes a movie that rattles you. 4 months is nothing like any other film I have seen, I mean it has a different backdrop, a very awkward difficult start and then it all becomes helter skelter then.
Outstanding admirable direction that keeps you at the edge of your seat.
The female actors were so good, I was stunned beyond words and oh my despite the language difference, this film hardly allowed me to take a deep breath.
Where do I begin? Where do I end? There is a scene in the film where I realize I haven't taken a breath in over four minutes. This is the sort of film you go to watch or watch at your home and you forget the rest of your life, the rest of your world seems to not matter for those two odd hours.
If you liked Irreversible, you may like this.
If you disliked Irreversible, you may still like this.
It's disturbing, gritty, dark, true, in your face, lacks lamenting, lacks commentry, lacks freewill or goodwill, yet wins and punches the lights out of you thirty minute before it says goodbye.
4 months 3 weeks 2 days - I think I'm going to watch it again.
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A great testament to the power of cinema, HOWEVER...
Added 9/14/2009
...I haven't seen one review mentioning the strange decision to crop this DVD from it's original aspect ratio of 2.35:1. It seems odd to me that an esteemed company such as IFC would let something like this slide. The cinematography is gorgeous to say the least. I saw this film in my local art house theater and remember being very impressed with the DP. So upon viewing it a second time on DVD I was a little baffled at the cropping. It definitely detracts from certain key scenes such as the dinner scene in which it is the most obvious. I even checked the ratio on [...] to make sure and my suspicions were confirmed.
This is a must see film in any case. Don't let anything stop you from seeing it. I would even recommend watching it in pan & scan if needed be. I'm just griping as the tampering doesn't make any sense. The film gained nothing from being cropped. It only lost some of it's beauty...
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Compelling throughout
Added 8/12/2009
A very poignant movie with backbone about Romanian university students in the late 1980's. While the social and political commentary are obvious, it is the exploration of heart-wrenching decisions in this movie that will keep you engaged despite a slow start. I watched this movie based on its reviews from notable critics. I appreciated a strong commentary on the support of women by women themselves, as well as the role of women in Romania in a fairly recent time, is present throughout. The content and choice of visuals in this movie is VERY affective and effective in making its mark, regardless of the viewer's opinion on the subject matter. I found myself saying, "Well, they aren't really going to show that, are they?"
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