4 Months, 3 Weeks And 2 Days

The Palme D'Or winner back in 2007, this Romanian film is seen as one of the better European films of the past decade.
And indeed it is excellent. Well acted, with an especially good lead performance (if the second women is rather irritating). One really gets a feel for the character's fast, changing emotions as the day wears on. The sense of place is also captured wonderfully (1987 Romania), with at once the gritty grimness and the starnge beauty in darkness that is attendent.
The story is also tightly, well told, with a fast pace and each scene contributing something strong in itself. Even when it moves away from the engine of the story, for example towards the scene at the boyfriend's house, we feel we are really finding our something new, not just padding time.
Perhaps the sharp pace and simplicity mean it is not quite as monumentally depressing as many found it. Yes, the story is a grim one, and one particular strand is truly awful. The general themes are those of violence, degradation, and despair. Despite this, the tone is rather one of sadness than agony, in our opinion. The slow unfolding of character is not visceral, but rather a floating away.
A fine film, deserving of its acclaim, if not quite of its guttural reputation. Worth seeing.