Pregnancy Test

Cristian Mungiu's 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days paints a bleak yet pointed portrait of what happens when you hide the truth from your family and friends.The year-old flick tracks the life of Otilia, a college coed who helps her roommate, Gabriela, borrow money to get a back-alley abortion from a seedy doctor in communist Romania. But the dude will only perform the operation if he can have sex with them. One scene drives home the women's despair: While Gabriela lies in a hotel room and bleeds on a bed covered in plastic, Otilia goes to a dinner party for her boyfriend's mother. As his family casually chats about college, professions, and their favorite foods, Otilia can't crack a smile, because she's forbidden to tell anyone about her part in Gabriela's abortion. The film apparently made an impression on the judges at the Cannes Film Festival in France. Last year, the panel awarded the movie the fest's coveted Palme d'Or prize. The screen lights up at 6:45 tonight and 9 p.m. Sunday at the Cleveland Cinematheque, 11141 East Boulevard. Tickets are $6 to $8. Call 216-421-7450 or visit target="_blank"www.cia.edu/cinematheque.
Thu., May 1, 6:45 p.m.; Sun., May 4, 9 p.m., 2008