Winner of the Palme D'Or at Cannes and sweeping many other prestigious festivals worldwide, the Romanian drama "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days" found international attention and almost unanimous acclaim. Its pertinent and timely issue of abortion, and the themes director Cristian Mungiu structures his story around it, may be one of the factors of its recognition. Just as likely could be its setting in Communist-controlled Romania, and the consequences of a strict dictatorship on laypeople.
Or, people could have just responded to the film's unpredictable and quietly intense narrative. Using an observational style similar to the the Dardenne brothers, ("L'Enfant") Mungiu lets effective long shots and ordinary dialogue build the story arc. It's amazing how quickly his realistic visual approach takes a grip on the viewer, thus allowing the heavier plot elements arise naturally and without melodrama.
The handheld cinematography and realistic plotting are nothing innovative, but they are used so perfectly that a better approach to the story seems unimaginable. Everything about the movie feels intensely real, and the objective way Mungiu deals with the subject matter forces the viewer to contemplate the many messages far after the film is over.
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