Review of 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007) by James O — 16 Jun 2015

A gut-wrenching portrait of life in a regime dominated by oppression and fear, 4 Months is a tour de force for Romanian cinema. Intimately shot and deliberately edited, director Cristian Mungiu exercises inspired restraint, allowing his writing and actors to speak for themselves.

The film's sustained long takes will frustrate audiences who are used to fast-paced storytelling, and Mungiu's minimalism reveals both enormous trust and self-confidence. Totally devoid of the glamorous trappings of cinematic style, 4 Months feels more like a cold splash of reality than a piece of fiction.