MetaCritic Score: 82

Frozen River won 24 awards and was nominated for 16 others (including two Oscars). Still, I can pretty confidently say that even you — someone who has taken the time out of their day to read a completely unadvertised movie blog — didn’t see it in theaters. I can say this because Courtney Hunt’s brilliant film  had a criminally low domestic gross of $2.5 million.

Frozen River centers on part-time dollar store employee Ray Eddy’s seemingly futile efforts to keep her family’s head above water financially, despite being married to a gambling-addict who continually sabotages her plans. Ray and her two sons live on the New York-Quebec border, where the harsh weather and job market are equally unforgiving. The region is also home to a Mohawk Indian reservation, which happens to be the haven of a thriving human-smuggling operation.

When we meet Ray, her husband has just run off with the family car, as well as the down payment on their brand new double-wide. After finding the car in the possession of a Mohawk woman who claims that she found it next to a bus stop, Ray is coerced into carrying two immigrants over the border. Though she has serious moral qualms with the practice, her initial, involuntary run forces Ray to think seriously about how far she is willing to go to provide for her family.

Frozen River’s strength lies in the unbelievably honest, Oscar-nominated performance of star Melissa Leo (who has an IMDB resume a mile long, but you’ll likely only remember as Benicio del Toro’s wife in 21 Grams), as well as the directorial prowess of rookie filmmaker Courtney Hunt. Leo gives Eddy a balance and depth that is rarely seen on screen today. She conveys a great deal of emotion without ever crossing the line into caricature. Of course, her work on screen is supported by an exceptionally well written screenplay from Hunt, who does a great job of preventing her characters from feeling static. Each character responds to the crises that are presented in a way that feels very true to life.

I was also impressed with the film’s pacing. Low-budget indie movies have a tendency to drag, but Frozen River manages to avoid that through its taut 98-minute running time. Though this certainly isn’t the first film to discuss illegal immigration, it does present a fresh take on the issue — happily, one that doesn’t push an agenda or place the blame on one particular source.

Though its release was rather small, I do believe that Frozen River will appeal to a wide range of movie goers. If you’re in the mood for a well-acted, socially relevant drama, this film is worth every penny of a rental at Blockbuster.

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MetaCritic Score: 80

When Wendy and Lucy showed up on my radar a couple months ago, I was torn over whether or not I should bother renting it. The reviews were solid (80s are few and far between on MetaCritic), but what I had read/heard about the plot lead me to believe that it might be unbearably slow, even by artsy indie movie standards. On the other hand, the film’s star, Michelle Williams, has developed a reputation as one of our generation’s best young actresses over the past few years, so I decided to give it a shot.

Wendy and Lucy is incredibly small in scope. The film captures about a week in the life of Wendy, a seemingly aimless young woman drifting across the country on her way from Indiana to Alaska, with only the vague notion that she wants to spend the summer working in a fish cannery. We meet her as she’s already on her way and leave her before she has much of a chance to get any closer to her destination.  We’re given no real exposition or denouement, but the crazy thing is that it really works wonderfully.

The hosts of one of my favorite podcasts, Filmspotting, are constantly criticizing movies for awkwardly forcing back-story details into places where they don’t fit. One recent - and particularly egregious - example of this took place in Taken, Liam Neeson’s recent ode to badassery. In that film, Neeson sits around a poker table with several of his CIA buddies discussing the highlights of his career and his love for his daughter. Filmspotting’s Adam and Matty were spot on when they said that this sort of spoon feeding shouldn’t be necessary. We don’t need to be told Neeson’s character’s full history in order to understand why he’s so intense in pursuit of his daughter’s captors; we should be able to gather that ourselves through his actions, words, and emotions. This is one of the key reasons why I see Wendy and Lucy as such a success; director Kelly Reichardt doesn’t need to waste any time with flashbacks, because Williams’s incredible acting and Jonathan Raymond’s screenplay give us a deep understanding of the character as we progress through the film.

What’s most impressive about Williams’s performance is how much authentic emotion she is able to convey with such a sparse script. She controls her expressions with incredible skill and reflects a deep sadness, teetering on the edge of hopelessness without overplaying it for a moment. Her stoicism is really beautiful in that regard. The fact that she essentially carries the film by herself, as Wendy is the only character of real significance, is another testament to the quality of her work here.

Reichardt also deserves a lot of credit for shooting this film in a way that reflects the tone of the story and the atmosphere of the setting. The locations chosen couldn’t have been better, and the muted color scheme that permeates every scene reveals the general malaise that sits over the whole town in which the story takes place.

In whole, Wendy and Lucy is an excellent film. It’s worth seeing for Michelle Williams’s performance by itself, but I really think that it succeeds on a number of levels. It’s not fast paced, and the story isn’t grandiose, but, as Film Threat’s Don Lewis said in his review, “Unless you’re an antsy movie-goer or have a cold heart, by the end of Wendy and Lucy, you’ll be engrossed, hoping for the best possible outcome.” So, check it out; I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

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As much as I love horror (even awesomely-bad horror), I’ve never really developed much of an affinity for vampire movies. Most of the time they are too cliched and ridiculous for even my forgiving tastes. Even so, I couldn’t resist checking out the unbelievably well-received Swedish vampire flick, Let the Right One In.

Set in 1982 and based on John Ajvide Lindqvist’s best selling novel, the story centers on Oskar, a small, quiet boy who is recipient of frequent bullying by his classmates. One night, while hanging out in the courtyard of his apartment complex, Oskar encounters a young girl, Eli, with pale skin and a wardrobe that seems woefully inappropriate for Sweden’s frigid winter climate. Though their initial encounters are standoffish (Eli repeatedly questions Oskar about his motives, “If I weren’t a girl, would you like me anyway?”), the two eventually form a bond.

I don’t think I’m spoiling anything when I tell you that we quickly learn that Eli is in fact a vampire. The older man she lives with–who we are initially led to believe is her father–seems to be little more than her glorified errand boy, “hunting” when she is thirsty and disposing of her “leftovers” when she must catch her own food. Although she is obviously a very deadly creature whose very existence depends on the death of others, we almost never feel like Oskar is in danger around her. That dynamic represents a good part of where the beauty of Let the Right One In comes from, this bizarre, yet touching friendship that forms between Oskar and Eli, who both are unable to make any other significant connections in their lives.

To classify Let The Right One In as just another horror movie really doesn’t do it justice. There are elements of horror (and Tomas Alfredson does a nice job using the bleak, muted Scandinavian setting to create suspense), but the main questions of the work don’t center on who will survive and who won’t–as in most horror films. Instead, we wonder about the possible outcomes of this relationship between a young boy and a vampire who has looked 12-years old for God knows how long. This ties in to one of my favorite things about Alfredson’s work here, which is that he leaves the ending open to interpretation. In fact, in the “Behind the Scenes” feature on the DVD, he discusses how the film’s ending can be justifiably seen as either happy or quite depressing.

Outside of Alfredson, I think both stars of the film deserve a great deal of credit. Kåre Hedebrant (don’t ask me to pronounce that) shows great emotional depth as Oskar, a pretty typical 12-year old boy thrown into a bizarre situation. His counterpart, Lina Leandersson, is similarly excellent as Eli, managing to simultaneously convey both the natural innocence associated with her character’s appearance and a subtle menace which hides just below the surface.

Overall, Let the Right One In is a outstandingly crafted film that will be enjoyed by most audiences. If you’re squeamish and concerned about gore, be aware that there are a few somewhat graphic scenes, but nothing too bad. If you’re willing to turn your head away for a few seconds every once in a while, you should still really enjoy this film. One final recommendation: Before you start watching the movie, make sure you adjust the settings to Swedish audio with English subtitles. My girlfriend and I just selected “Play movie” and were subjected to some unsurprisingly terrible English dubbing.

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Most of you don’t know me personally, but here’s a little secret: I’m not a morning person. The entire time I’ve been in college, I’ve made it a rule to not have any classes before 11 a.m. My plan worked wonderfully for my first three-and-a-half years in school, but this semester it’s finally caught up with me. The one class I need to finish my sociology major is only offered at 8 a.m. Needless to say, it hasn’t been an easy adjustment, seeing as how I’m almost always awake until 3 or 4 a.m. Normally a lack of sleep just leads to afternoon naps, but unfortunately this time it affected my ability to adequately review this film. I don’t think I really missed anything, but I was fighting heavy eyelids for almost the entire second half of the movie.

Anyhow, let’s get on with my impressions of the film. First of all, Milk represents another directorial home run for one of our generation’s best, Gus Van Sant. The pacing is excellent, and Van Sant does a wonderful job blending stock footage with the rest of the film.

Though the subject matter alone makes his role Oscar bait, Penn lives up to the hype and delivers a characteristically stellar performance as the man himself, Harvey Milk. Though I wasn’t particularly impressed by James Franco, Josh Brolin and Emile Hirsch picked up the slack with brilliant showings.

All that being said, I don’t think I enjoyed the movie quite as much as I expected. Perhaps it’s just because the movie has been so hyped, but I was really expecting to be blown away. Milk is really well written and directed, but the entertainment factor just wasn’t as high as I had hoped.

Still, if you have an opportunity, Milk is definitely worth seeing. If you’re in Charleston, you better hurry; this is the last week Milk will be showing at the Terrace.

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Towelhead

I don’t remember hearing about this film when it was in theaters, but I recently saw a preview for it on another DVD and was intrigued. Towelhead is the story of Jasira, a 13-year old Lebanese-American girl who is just beginning to discover her sexuality. Jasira’s combination of a physical appearance beyond her years and an age-appropriate level of naivety make her a frequent target for the sexual advances of men of all ages. Her father’s judgmental, disciplinary nature and mother’s absence leave her without anyone to talk to and, as a consequence, without the guidance or knowledge necessary to safely navigate the situations she will face. Summer Bishil (who is actually 19) is fantastic job as Jasira, and Aaron Eckhart, who I have trouble picturing as anything other than a clean-cut good guy, is surprisingly effective as the pedophile neighbor. Perhaps a bit more subtlety could have helped, because sometimes writer Alan Ball (American Beauty, Six Feet Under) can be a heavy handed with his themes, but overall Towelhead is still worth renting.

Wanted

I had high hopes for Wanted. The previews looked awesome, leading me to believe that it would be like a more substantive version of 2007’s Shoot Em Up. Unfortunately, Wanted’s absurdity was equal to just about anything in recent memory. The plot is weak, the dialogue is campy, and it’s not a stretch to say that this film may have featured the worst performances I have ever seen from Morgan Freeman and James McAvoy (both of whom I really like). On the positive side, the special effects are pretty cool; although, the bullet-bending trick does get a bit repetitive after a while. If you’re into mindless action and special effects, then by all means give Wanted a shot. Just don’t rent it hoping for an Oscar caliber story. Also, this movie loses extra points for making Freeman drop the F-bomb twice. Freeman seems way too classy and intelligent to ever do that.

Snow Angels

I’ve never been a fan of Sam Rockwell, and I usually don’t like Kate Beckinsale much either. Snow Angels has, at least temporarily, changed my opinion of both actors. Focusing on the lives of a woman, her estranged alcoholic husband, and a high school student she used to babysit, the film examines how, especially in a small town, the lives of individuals can be inextricably intertwined. What makes Snow Angels so great is the authenticity of the characters. Even in the film’s most extreme moments each character’s actions remain believable. The script is excellent and the performances are all exceptional. Be sure to move this one near the top of your “must-see” list.

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When Did You Last See Your Father?

This is my favorite of the films that I haven’t had a chance to write about. It’s the story of a son (Colin Firth) dealing with the sudden impending loss of his father (Jim Broadbent). It’s about coming to terms with the fact that you might not have time to answer all of the questions and address all of issues that result from a lifetime of conflict. Director Anand Tucker expertly captures the quirks and struggles of the father-son relationship in a way to which many will be able to relate. Firth and Broadbent are both excellent in this story that is heart wrenching without succumbing to melodrama. I highly recommend checking this out.

City of Men

The sequel to the critically acclaimed Brazilian film City of God had a tough act to follow. While it didn’t impress me as much as its predecessor, City of Men was still very enjoyable. The story, which follows two of the younger characters from the first film (with the same actors), is energetic and action packed. The themes of fatherhood and friendship within this impoverished, gang-ridden landscape are explored in a way that delivers more emotional resonance than you might suspect. It’s stylishly shot and draws added realism from true-to-life shooting locations in the slums of Rio de Janiero. If you enjoyed HBO’s excellent series “The Wire,” then this is going to be right up your alley.

Married Life

I went into this film with mixed expectations. I really like Chris Cooper, but Pierce Brosnin has never done much for me (with the exception of The Matador). In the end, however, the story just wasn’t enough to keep me interested. Almost everything unfolds precisely as you would expect, with the exception of the very end, which struck me as totally implausible. Cooper’s performance was solid, but none of the other characters seemed particularly authentic. It’s not awful, but there are much better options currently occupying your local video store’s “New Releases” shelves.


Hellboy II: The Golden Army

I never saw the first Hellboy, but after seeing Pan’s Labyrinth and loving what Guillermo del Toro did with that film, I decided to give The Golden Army a chance. Like Pan’s Labyrinth, this film is visually very cool. The creatures are interesting and the action sequences are entertaining. Unfortunately, the film stars Ron Perlman and Selma Blair, neither of whom are likely to ever draw much attention from the Academy. It’s based on a comic book, however, so I guess a bit of campiness has to be expected. Overall, it’s certainly a better film than Hancock or any of the new Spiderman movies, so if you’re looking for 90 minutes of somewhat low-brow entertainment, go ahead and give it a shot.

Taxi to the Dark Side

If you weren’t already fed up with the current regime, then this stirring documentary is sure to put you over the edge. Taxi to the Dark Side draws its title from the story of a young Afghan man who was wrongfully arrested, without any evidence, and sent to an American prison. There, the young man, who was never charged with a crime, was interrogated for hours, tortured, and eventually dies. The documentary delves into the culprits and causes behind America’s current policy of torture. It’s especially disheartening once you realize that if any other country was doing to Americans what we are doing to Iraqis and Afghanis, we would have charged them with war crimes long ago.


Tropic Thunder

Back when Tropic Thunder was nearing its theatrical release, I really couldn’t see what the big deal was. Ben Stiller has never been one of my favorites. I feel like he plays essentially the same character in almost every movie he does. Jack Black can be funny (e.g., Orange County) but he can be pretty awful too (e.g., Envy). Robert Downey Jr. has talent, but I’m more than a little skeptical of any modern movie that includes the use of black face. Still, it received generally positive reviews so I decided to give it a chance once it was released to DVD. Stiller and Black were as ridiculous as I expected them to be, but the movie is saved by the mind-bogglingly hilarious performance of Tom Cruise. Cruise steals every scene that he’s a part of and single-handedly saves Tropic Thunder from mediocrity. Rent it without too high expectations and you’re in for a treat.

You Don’t Mess with the Zohan

Yes, I actually rented You Don’t Mess with the Zohan. No, I don’t really have a defense for why I did it. Actually, I was lured in by the fact that it received a 75 percent or above from Roger Ebert and seven other critics on MetaCritic. I should have trusted my better judgement, but I can’t say I didn’t laugh. There are some scenes that are so ridiculous that you won’t be able to help yourself. Even still, if I could have the hour and a half of my life that I spent watching Zohan back, you can bet I’d jump at the opportunity. Pass on this one.

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The Visitor is the second movie from Thomas McCarthy, the writer/director of the critically acclaimed film The Station Agent. You may also recognize McCarthy’s name from some of his various low-profile acting roles, including a stint on the final season of the greatest TV show ever made (The Wire).

Much like The Station Agent, The Visitor is a subdued, but profoundly human drama (I tried to think of another way to say this because that’s how several of the other reviews put it, but sometimes there’s really only one way to accurately describe something). The story focuses on Walter Vale, a downtrodden college professor who has spent the last several years in a rut, teaching the same class and doing just enough work to keep his job. Walter, a widower, lives alone, eats alone, and generally doesn’t engage in anything more than the minimum required human contact.

He gets displaced from his comfort zone when he is forced to go to New York City to present a paper he co-authored at a conference. Upon arriving at the apartment he owns–but hasn’t been to in years–in the city, he discovers that a young African-Islamic couple has been living there for months, paying rent to some guy who isn’t Walter.

After initially kicking the couple out, Walter has a change of heart and invites them to stay as long as they need after realizing they have nowhere to go. What follows is a moving story of the power of human connection that doesn’t rely on cliches or convenient plot devices.

The film’s writing and acting is superb on all accounts. Richard Jenkins, who plays Walter, gives depth to a character who could have ended up being stagnant and exceedingly unlikable in less capable hands. Haaz Sleiman delivers a breakthrough performance as Tarek, the djembe playing male half of the young Islamic couple. One might imagine that it would be difficult for an actor to generate sympathy for a character who is an illegal Islamic immigrant in NYC in today’s society, but Sleiman really does excellent work.

Perhaps The Visitor’s best scenes, however, come toward the end of the film, as Walter slowly but surely forges a bond with Mouna, Tarek’s mother. The two characters couldn’t possibly have less in common, but some of the moments they share literally almost brought me to tears (something that never happens to me in movies).

Overall, I have to give The Visitor my highest of recommendations. It isn’t something to watch if you’re looking for an action-packed thrill ride, but if you simply love movies and are looking for something a little under the radar that may truly blow you away, this is the film for you. So check it out and thank me later.

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“There’s more to high school than being well liked.”
“Like what, specifically?”
“…Nothing comes to mind.” - (Excerpt from an exchange between Charlie and his mother in one of the film’s opening scenes. Explains a lot about the premise of the movie)

Everyone has their guilty pleasures. Everyone has songs, movies, or books that they like way more than they think they should. Maybe it’s that catchy pop song on the radio with stupid lyrics that you can’t help but love. Maybe it’s the series of children’s books that seem to have captivated an inordinate amount of young adults. Whatever it is, you feel like you shouldn’t, but you just can’t help being entranced. This is how I feel about Charlie Bartlett.

Charlie Bartlett is a well-meaning rich kid with an all-consuming desire to be liked. He’s been kicked out of every private school he’s ever attended for what we gather are a variety of schemes meant to help boost his popularity. After his most recent expulsion, he enrolls in a public school. He has a brief rough patch, but Charlie quickly pairs up with a tough kid from the other side of the tracks who helps him sell the Ritalin he’s been unnecessarily prescribed to the other kids at a school dance. The success of this initial endeavor ushers Charlie into his new niche as the school’s de facto psychiatrist and pharmacist, running office hours out of the boys’ bathroom.

Of course, what teen movie would be complete without a love interest? Charlie’s is a drama club girl named Susan, played by Kat Dennings, who just happens to be the principal’s daughter. The principal / Susan’s father is a downtrodden alcoholic who hates his job and totally lacks the respect of his students. Charlie faces a variety of predictable problems and tries to handle them the best he can, while learning a few important life lessons along the way. I can’t pretend the plot doesn’t border on the virtual definition of a stereotypical teen movie, but it’s at least a very good one.

Charlie Bartlett doesn’t ask any tough questions or break new ground; in fact, a few of the characters seem like they may have been lifted directly from The Breakfast Club (like the tough kid with the heart of gold who has a thing for the popular girl), but the film succeeds because the film’s main character / leading man is just overwhelmingly likeable. You believe that he truly wants to make things better for the people around him. Although popularity is the driving force behind Charlie’s actions, he comes off as so undeniably good that you can’t help but root for him. This is a good thing because from very early on in the film you just know that everything is going to work out. Anton Yelchin turns in a breakthrough performance as Charlie and fully embodies everything that makes for a good teen star. This is the only movie I’ve seen him in (edit: I take that back, he was in Alpha Dog, but I don’t remember his character so I don’t count it), but I expect that we’ll be hearing from him much more frequently in the near future.

Robert Downey Jr. essentially plays himself if he happened to be principal of a suburban high school. At one point, he ends up sloppy drunk in his bathrobe, shooting a revolver at a remote control boat in his swimming pool. It sounds like something right out of his real life police reports. That being said, it’s a good fit and who could play Robert Downey Jr., the principal, better than the man himself?

Like I said, this movie is a guilty pleasure. I don’t think it’s Oscar worthy or anything like that, but Charlie Bartlett is just one of those films that leaves you feeling happy you watched it. It would be a good pick for a date night at home or a casual weeknight with some friends.

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I’m a sucker for Morgan Freeman movies. Ever since I saw The Shawshank Redemption (which immediately became one of my all-time favorites), essentially everything with his name attached ends up in my hands at one point or another. I know I’m just basing this on the characters that he’s played, but I doubt I’m alone in thinking that Freeman just gives off the vibe that he’d be the world’s greatest grandfather. Maybe it’s his voice that makes everything he says sound like it is some sort of great wisdom passed down through the ages, or maybe it’s the fact his cool, calm characters always seem to know more than everyone else in the film. Whatever the reason, even though The Bucket List got decidedly mediocre reviews and I’m not a particularly big Jack Nicholson fan, I knew I’d end up seeing this movie soon enough.

In Bucket List, Freeman and Nicholson play Carter Chambers and Edward Cole, an auto mechanic and a hospital tycoon, who find themselves, first, stuck next to each other in the same hospital room and, next, in the same situation, as they are both diagnosed with cancer and given only months to live. Apart from their obvious income disparities (it is, in fact, in Edward’s own hospital where the two men are receiving treatment), the two men’s lives couldn’t have been any more different. Freeman’s character, Carter, had been forced to drop out of college and take what work he could find when his young wife informed him that she was expecting a rather unexpected child. Forty-some years later, Carter is still working under the hood of a car and may not have an abundance of material wealth, but has a loving and healthy family to show for his work. Edward Cole, on the other hand, has built a billion dollar hospital empire, but has four failed marriages and one estranged relationship with his only daughter laying in its wake. In fact, at one point Cole says, “The only successful marriage I’ve ever had is with work.”

When, one day, Edward notices Carter scribbling what Carter describes as a “bucket list”, something inspired by an assignment a teacher once gave him in college, which asked the students to make a list of things they wanted to do before they died, he decides that, with his money, this list is something the men can accomplish together. While Carter initially balks at the idea of two terminally ill old men setting out on a wild adventure to accomplish the to-do list of a lifetime, Edward eventually manages to convince him, and, after Carter passes this decision along to his furious wife, the pair set out on their way. What follows is a series of comical and awkward scenes in which this odd couple participate in activities clearly directed at men half their age (I kept expecting them to be randomly replaced by Danny Glover and Mel Gibson, just so they could bust out a Lethal Weapon style “We’re gettin‘ too old for this shit!”)

The strengths of Bucket List can, to a certain degree, also fall under the category of weaknesses. There are a lot of the scenes in the film that are pretty funny and entertaining, but, at the same time, are obviously rather predictable and formulaic. The “old guys doing things they shouldn’t” angle isn’t breaking any new ground, and the stories of their personal lives, while somewhat touching, are archetypes that have been drawn from countless stories throughout history. Freeman and Nicholson inhabit their roles well; both actors’ personalities were good pairings with their characters’, although I’m not sure I could ever believe someone like Morgan Freeman would be an auto-mechanic. If I was re-writing the script I would at least have made him a poorly paid high school English teacher or some other profession that was a better match for his intellect.

Overall, The Bucket List is the kind of movie that makes a great pick for a family movie night. No one is going to dislike it enough to protest and there are enough laughs and warm moments to keep your attention throughout. If you don’t have a family, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend dropping $4 at the Blockbuster to rent it, but you could find much worse ways to kill an hour and a half on a slow weeknight at home when Bucket List inevitably ends up in regular rotation on HBO.

Side note: Apparently I’ve been out of the loop. For those that didn’t hear, Freeman was recently in a very serious car crash in which he lost control of the car, veered off the highway, and flipped the vehicle, breaking several bones in the process. After a few days in the hospital earlier this month receiving treatment, he was released and says he is doing very well. Best wishes to him in his recovery.

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4 Months was never put out into wide release, but was the 2007 winner of the prestigious Palme d’Or, the top prize of the Cannes Film Festival, and was also named to the top 10 lists of many of the nation’s top critics. All that being said, it should, understandably, come as a surprise that I didn’t particularly enjoy this film.

4 Months has a tight, narrow focus, and for that I give it credit. We meet the characters with their goal already laid out, they set out to accomplish this goal, and afterwards the movie ends. There is barely any background, there are only the slightest of side plots, and the story is direct and realistic, without any hint of allegory or metaphor.

The film focuses on two college girls living in Romania in 1987, near the end of communist rule. Otilia and Gabi are roommates and best friends. Gabi has a serious problem (she is pregnant) and enlists Otilia to help her as she tries to get an abortion. The other problem is that, in Romania during this time, abortion is illegal, but Gabi doesn’t have the resources or maturity level to handle being a mother at this point. Through a friend who had a sister who had an abortion, Gabi has obtained the name of a man who will perform the operation. Gabi is too afraid to go meet the man herself, so she sends Otilia in her stead. When Otilia meets the man, who refers to himself as Mr. Bebe, he is immediately upset because not only did he specifically state that he wanted Gabi to meet him in person, but he also instructed her to make a reservation at one of two specific hotels, which she has also failed to do. Mr. Bebe has a stern, imposing personality whose presence becomes increasingly ominous the longer he is around the girls.

When he learns that Gabi has lied, not only about the money she claimed to have, but also about how far along she was in her pregnancy, the entire operation is almost called off before Mr. Bebe lays out an alternative method of payment which will ask much more of Otilia than anyone can reasonably be expected to do for a friend. Despite this, not having the operation is not an option for Gabi, and what must be done is done. The rest of film details the collateral damage of this event and these decisions. It offers no easy answers or tight resolution, leaving Gabi and Otilia only with the reality of what has happened, and the viewer with only our imagination as to what the future holds for these two young women.

I give writer/director Cristian Mungiu a lot of credit for the level of authenticity and realism in 4 Months. He avoids all clichés and never stretches the truth for the sake of entertainment. In the environment of today’s film industry, this was a bold and risky proposition. He is able to accomplish this, in large part, because of the tremendous performances of the film’s three main stars, Anamaria Marinca (Otilia), Laura Vasiliu (Gabi), and Vlad Ivanov (Bebe). Each of these actors fully captures the essence of the role and seems to have an intimate understanding of the realities of the time. However, while he may have produced a film with an exceptional level of realism, he has also produced one that has an absent enjoyability factor and is nearly totally devoid of entertainment value.

Now, I don’t need explosions, sex, or CGI to find a movie enjoyable, but, to be truly successful, a film needs to be more than just an exhibition of the director’s ability to convey reality. For comparison’s sake, watching this film is sort of like watching a brilliant mathematician solve an extremely difficult proof for two hours, at the end you may come away knowing that what you just saw was an impressive accomplishment, but the total lack of anything to make the presentation entertaining ruins your experience.

Apart from the lack of entertainment, one other aspect of the film that I really disliked was the frequent use of obscenely long, continuous shots. According to Time Magazine‘s review of this film, 4 Months is composed of less than 70 total shots. There are a few of these that are on the border of excruciating, but perhaps the worst of all is the 5+ minute shot of Otilia staring ahead blankly at the dinner table of her boyfriend’s parents’ house. I know that it is meant to show how the events of the film have rendered her almost completely stoic, but we get the point by the one minute mark, and Mungiu insists on forcing us to listen to the boyfriend’s family’s mindless pseudo-intellectual drivel for another 5 minutes.

All-in-all, from a technical standpoint, I can understand how 4 Months could have garnered critical acclaim, but the decries of “masterpiece” and “brilliant” seem drastically overstated. I can only recommend this to those who have a very specific interest in the technical and stylistic elements of film, or those who see a films proximity to reality as the major determinant of success. For the casual movie fan, I’d suggest a pass.

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