4 months, 3 weeks, and 2 days

by most critics' accounts, this film should have won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film, but it is so claustrophic, intense, and quietly devastating, I can see why it wasn't even nominated - people don't enjoy watching this kind of movie. it's also got really disgusting medical stuff in it. don't get me wrong, it was excellent, but definitely hard to take. it made me wonder what lengths I would go to to help a friend who put off an illegal abortion until she was almost 5 months pregnant (see title).