The exploitation of a strong woman by a needy one proves as tense a subject as the tyranny of a communist dictatorship in Cristian Mun- giu's 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, the engrossing story of a thoughtless college girl's illegal abortion in 1987 Romania. When delicate-looking Gabita (Laura Vasiliu) finally faces up to her pregnancy after months of denial, her strapping roommate Otilia (Anamaria Marinca) assumes responsibility for Gabita's plight. Over the course of a single super-stress-filled day, Otilia alone feels the moral weight of their choices. She puts herself at risk, body and soul for the good of her friend.

Last year's award-winning German film The Lives of Others wrested heroism and even beauty and romance out of the tortured daily life of a totalitarian regime.

4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (IFC First Take) Starring Anamaria Marinca, Laura Vasiliu, Vlad Ivanov, Alexandru Potocean. Directed by Cristian Mungiu. Unrated. Time 113 minutes. (In Romanian with English subtitles).