Romanian export deserved Oscar nod

Cristian Munglu, writing and directing his second feature film, delivers a tour de force in this shocking drama that grasps the grittiness of reality. "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days" is the devilish counterpart to the film "Juno." The witty and slightly over-rehearsed presentation seen in the latter is entirely stripped away in this film to reveal the bare pain that racks young women the world over who are confronted with the choice between the preservation of their futures and the preservation of another.

This controversial subject avoids the cliche of "guy knocks up girl, girl caught in conundrum, girl gets abortion, girl regrets and cries." "4 Months" shifts its focus from "the girl with a bump for a belly" to "the loyal confidante." Otilia (Anamaria Marinca) shows great strength and devotion in helping her university roommate Gabita (Laura Vasiliu) through an illegal abortion. The basic premise of the movie is simple, but it is the presentation that engages you.

The self-conscious narrative stance that plays around Otilia's character produces effective results in conveying a sense of immediacy. Through the use of long takes, heart-wrenching exchanges and extended silence,s the viewer becomes immersed in the movie. Especially moving is the ending shot, in which Otilia turns from Gabrita and looks at the audience outside the screen before the film cuts to a pitch-black screen. We leave the movie theater feeling culpable, involved and blameworthy. The use of hand-held cameras, minimal production lighting and 360-degree shots serves to elevate the authenticity of the movie and further involve the viewer in Otilia's experience.

The lack of a soundtrack and the inclusion of raw, natural, ambient sound also force the viewer's attention to remain within the moment and the plot of the film. The sparse use of sound is especially poignant and realistic in long pauses during conversations or in one scene where Otilia walks down an empty Romanian street. The silence of the moment, accompanied by the occasional beeping of a broken car horn in the distance, is unsettling and suitable for the movie's overall tone. By not allowing us to be lulled into a sense of safety, the movie thrusts us forward into the action, instigating thigh-clenching moments (for us girls anyway) that make us grimace with sympathetic pain.

Marinca, last seen in Francis Ford Coppola's largely forgettable (and forgotten) "Youth Without Youth," delivers a performance that aids the visual premise of "4 Months" and brings it to new heights. Her character begins as a highly confident and collected student who seems in control of the situation, in comparison to the understandably distraught and perturbed Gabrita. As the movie progresses, however, we see her fundamental inner strength disintegrate. Marinca lifts a character from the pages of her script and transforms Otilia into a living being whom we admire for her selfless acts and sacrifices.

This year has been a good one for movies, and "4 Months" demands and deserves attention. In the gloomy streets of Romania, there is a hope that comes in the form of budding international cinematic prestige.

A word of warning though: Do not watch this movie on a full stomach.

Pros: The handling of a controversial subject triggers guilt in the audience through its sense of immediacy.