The REEL Addict 

4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS & 2 DAYS

Further fueling the current Romanian film renaissance, 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS & 2 DAYS is a serious cinematic accomplishment (it even won the Golden Palm a the Cannes Film Festival last year). What makes it such a remarkable film is that on the surface its functional extremely well as a dramatically devastating abortion drama (propelled by the impressive performance of Anamaria Marinca) but if you burrow a little deeper you realize the film is simultaneously a critically impressionistic portrayal of Romania during Communist rule (the film takes place in 1986). It’s this subtlety, this representation that isn’t forced upon you so much as reveals itself, that makes the film so powerful, affecting - and at times gut-wrenching. Pay particular attention to a dinner sequence later in the film that is shot in a long-take, and though it seems to only be small-talk between people celebrating a birthday, is actually the thematic center of the film. 4 MONTHS…, ladies and gentleman, is filmmaking at its best.

Overall rating: A

MY BLUEBERRY NIGHTS

We all know Kar Wai Wong (CHUNKING EXPRESS, IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE, 2046) can make gorgeous films, ones that provide a veritable visual feast for the eyes. MY BLUEBERRY NIGHTS is no exception with its lush color palette, and its soft, sensual and warm lighting. It makes you feel like you’re somehow basking in the afterglow of love at all times. It’s too bad the story never matches the visual splendor. The performances are good enough, but the conceit of the story leaves little to care about. We’re supposed to care about Elizabeth (Norah Jones) wanting to “find” herself, but she’s so ho-hum you’ll be hard pressed to care as she works her way through various slice-of-life vignettes. Only her story with Jeremy (Jude Law) comes close to achieving the romantic warmth a Kar Wai Wong film should. Beyond that, the other stories and characters are insubstantial and burdened by fluffy under development and superficiality.

Overall rating: C

BELLA

BELLA tells a simple but sweet tale about two damaged and struggling souls who end up spending one of those BEFORE SUNRISE days together. The ones that start simple, and then keep going - one activity bleeding into the other - as you reach a certain level of comfortability that makes both people unwilling to let it go. In this case, the two characters find themselves falling into an ease of being with each other, one neither has known for a while, and one that catalyzes a gentle healing that has been long overdue for both of them. It’s a film about the healing power of simple companionship and understanding. It’s what you would call a nice film without a shred of patronization, which is probably why it won the Audience Award at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival. Exactly like a soft hand in a time of need, the film is a gentle, unassuming and unimposing, but hits all the right emotional spots. It may not be the height of dramatic accomplishment, but it creates a lovely calming atmosphere that’ll warm your heart, and that’s more than enough for me to recommend the movie. As fun as the summer blockbuster season is, it may just be good to throw in a little low-key, emotionally rich film as a change of pace.

Overall rating: B