Review of 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007) by Przemek O — 15 Jan 2010

I finally got around to watching this film. I think the shot of B12 I got in my arm at the doctor today restored my attention span. I feared the subject matter, subtitles, and hype that surrounded this film.

But somehow I overcame my fears of wire hangers and super realistic camera direction and streamed it from Netflix on my new 46" television. It was a gorgeous movie that filmed Romania in the creepiest light.

I never want to go there. Their trams look like old psych wards. Their hotels look like dormitories. Puddles and ice and weird fish tanks. Remember to wax your legs before you schedule an illegal abortion.

A friendship is tested when things go not as planned and I found myself squirming with horror. Pale blue tiled bathrooms, a flickering flourescent light in the lobby of a hotel while a friend could have been dead.

Long shots following the protagonist...shaky camera and all. Still shots that never move which completely disturb. Almost Michael Haneke-ish. The most eerie and brilliant part about this movie is the lack of a soundtrack or score.

The only sound is the running water from a bathroom sink or the sound of a lighter being lit. Beautiful and intriguing. There are not enough words...