Hey everyone. Capone in Chicago here.
When I was compiling my list of the 50 best films of 2007 (for the purposes of the current awards season, this film was released last year), this film narrowly missed my Top 10 and fell in at number 11. People have asked me my feelings about the Oscar nominations this year, and they aren't too bad. Cate Blanchett robbed Angelina Jolie of her rightful nod for A MIGHTY HEART. In no place on Earth does ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE deserve recognition of anything. But aside from that, I can live with the nominations as they are, with the exception of nearly the entire Best Foreign Film category. In the spirit of full disclosure, I've now only seen two of the five nominees—Mongol, which absolutely deserves a nomination; and The Counterfeiters, which is a fine film indeed. But The Counterfeiters does not in any way deserve a nomination in this category over France's Persepolis (which, granted, received a nomination in the Animated Feature category), Spain's THE ORPHANAGE, Canada's DAYS OF DARKNESS, Hong Kong's EXILED, Italy's THE UNKNOWN or 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AND 2 DAYS, the highly touted and deeply disturbing work from Romania. It used to be the Documentary category that was fucked up; now, apparently, it's the foreign films that are taking a hit. But I digress.
4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AND 2 DAYS is a stark and upsetting film that you should rush to see as soon as it opens in your neck of the woods (assuming it ever does). It follows two female college students through 24 of the scariest hours of their lives. The film is set in '80s-era Romania, during what would turn out to be the end of communist rule and the Ceausescu dictatorship. Everyone is a little scared of authority, to say the least, and it is clear from the start that these two women are involved in something illegal. One of them, Gabita (Laura Vasiliu), is pregnant and is attempting to get an illegal abortion. The wheels are already in motion. Her friend, Otilia (Anamaria Marinca), is borrowing money from friends, the hotel is booked where the procedure will take place, and the "specialist" has been called in. 4 Months has no political agenda (regarding abortion, at least; its viewpoint on communism is quite clear). If anything, it wants to show us that in a world where the best-laid plans can get botched, these two women's half-baked plans are a disaster waiting to happen. Schedules are not kept; Gabita is a thoughtless, selfish friend, whose behavior puts both of them at risk. The title of the film is an indicator of just how reckless this girl is, having let her pregnancy go far longer than she admits to. It doesn't help that the citizens of this Iron Curtain nation seems less than willing or eager to help their fellow comrades unless there is money in it for them.
The film kicks into full ick factor with the introduction of the truly awful abortionist Bebe (Vlad Ivanov), one of the greatest forces of evil in the 2007 films. He hides behind his paranoia to squeeze more money out of these two women, and when they can't pay, he decides to take it out in trade. His methodical methods when carrying out the procedure might make you sick. The tension level during the course of 4 MONTHS is kept extremely high. Will they get caught? Will the procedure kill Gabita? Will Gabita find new ways of doing the wrong thing? The film is shot documentary-style by acclaimed cinematographer Oleg Mutu (THE DEATH OF MR. LAZARESCU) and has an immediate and almost real-time feel to it. The real standout here is Marinca, who sacrifices much for the sake of her ungrateful friend. During this ordeal, she is forced to leave the hotel where her friend is recovering to attend a party at her boyfriend's parents' home. He has no idea what's going on, and her behavior at the party couldn't be less friendly.
This is an unsettling and sometimes downright unpleasant film to watch, but the cumulative effect of 4 MONTHS' troubling two-hour running time is undeniable. This is a film that clings to the inside of your brain and won't let go. It shows you a time and place not so long gone. Is it a warning about the potential return of black-market abortions? Or is it just a pledge that people like Bebe should never be allowed to ply their horribly unsafe trade again in this world? Either way, the film's impact is solid and unforgettable.
IN BRUGES
In a strange way, I wish IN BRUGES was coming out at a different time of year. The film's award-worthy script (from first-time feature director and acclaimed British playwright Martin McDonagh) is too smart and insightful for February. Then again, it will stand out like a beacon of light. Ignore the trailers that paint this film as a comic romp. While the film will most certainly make you laugh a lot, there is so much more going on in this story of two Irish hitmen hiding out in the Belgian city of Bruges after a job goes horribly wrong. One of the men is veteran killer Ken (Brendan Gleeson, star of McDonagh's fantastic Oscar-winning short SIX SHOOTER); the other, Ray (Colin Farrell), is on his first gig as a hitman. He seems just rough enough around the edges for the job, but as we see in a series of flashbacks (more like Ray's nightmares), the hit went wrong because of his carelessness.
Bruges is a strange and wonderful city that is part medieval kingdom, part slightly dull destination that tourist tend to come to and spend only one or two days checking out the museums, canals and fabulous architecture. Ken finds the place kind of magical; Ray is bored out of his mind, until he finds out there's a movie being shot in town that features a dwarf actor (Jordan Prentice). Now he's entertained. While Farrell is playing a guilt-ridden character much like the one he plays in Woody Allen's latest CASSANDRA'S DREAM, this is the better part. Farrell seems to know this character better; he's hysterical at times, short tempered and riddled with a severe case of Catholic guilt. Ken tries to comfort the poor fellow, but it turns out it's a woman (French actress Clemence Poesy) who gives Ray a reason to get excited about life again. Ray is a often-vulgar and bigoted man, who has almost no filter between his brain and his mouth. He beats up a man in a restaurant (believing him to be an asshole American) while yelling, "That's for John Lennon." It's a funny, seemingly throwaway scene that has serious consequences later in the film.
The reason the men are in Bruges specifically is their boss Harry (Ralph Fiennes, who we don't see until about an hour into the film; we hear his voice on the phone a few times before that). Harry is a brutal and nasty man who has loved Bruges since taking a trip there as a child, and wanted to give Ray one last fun experience before his mistake on the job is dealt with. The wildly clever screenplay rarely takes us outside the town and adds a slightly claustrophobic feel to the proceedings. The interplay between the two leads in phenomenal, but when Harry shows up, he and Ray have a couple exceptional scenes, as well. Their long history as coworkers is explored and exploited by Ray to keep things from getting bloody. The dizzying conclusion of IN BRUGES is nothing short of genius as McDonagh brings all of his characters together in a chaotic, potentially bloody affair.
IN BRUGES takes characters that might be unlikable villains in other stories and makes them people we care about and cheer on. McDonagh has always mixed comedy and introspection, sometimes shocking drama in his plays, and his move into celluloid is extraordinary. While never feeling at all like a filmed play, IN BRUGES takes a simple, uncomplicated approach to its story. It's also a visually lovely piece that takes full advantage of the city's many historical buildings and art galleries filled with some of the most evil visions of hell and purgatory I've ever seen. Yay, Hieronymus Bosch! I'm calling my travel agent right away to make the journey, and you should, too. This is a wonderful film that deserves a bigger audience than it will probably get. It's an intelligent work, with fully realized characters and great actors up to the task. You may never see Farrell any better, Gleason more highly profiled or Fiennes more sociopathic.
Capone
capone@aintitcoolmail.com
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