4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (Unrated) ****: Although it didn't make the final cut of Oscar nominees for Best Foreign-Language Film, Romanian writer- director Cristian Mungiu's suspenseful, absolutely riveting film is one of the year's best. Using the harrowing experiences of two college roommates (Anamaria Marinca and Laura Vasiliu) negotiating to secure a black-market abortion, the movie depicts the dear price paid by a society under totalitarian rule, where the most basic qualities that bind us as human beings -- compassion, sympathy, sensitivity -- are sacrificed in the struggle for self-survival. -- Rodriguez (vulgar language, sexual situations, nudity, adult themes). In Romanian with English subtitles. 113 minutes.

Caramel (PG-13) ***: This wistful tale of friendship and solidarity from Lebanese actress and first-time director Nadine Labaki centers on five female friends in various stages of romantic and personal discovery in Beirut. It's about universal things -- vanity, heartache, sisterhood -- but it's also about stealing moments of intimacy. While not terribly focused, the performances are ripe and charming, and the movie scores credibility points for the simple fact that the characters don't necessarily realize their fantasies. -- Herald wire services (thematic elements involving sexuality, language and some smoking) 95 minutes. In Arabic and French with English subtitles.

Under the Same Moon (La Misma Luna) (PG-13) ***: This endearingly sweet fable is about a hotly debated subject. Director Patricia Riggen and screenwriter Ligiah Villalobos take a tender approach to this story of a 9-year-old boy (Adrian Alonso) who crosses the Mexico-U.S. border on his own to reunite with his mother (Kate Del Castillo), an illegal immigrant working as a maid in Los Angeles. The remarkable performances by the two actors allow the viewer to share the bond between mother and son, anchoring the drama with a humanity that transcends personal politics and stances on immigration law. -- Rodriguez (mature thematic elements). In Spanish with English subtitles. 109 minutes.

Join the discussion

Note: If this is your first time using our NEW commenting system, you will have to LOG OUT and then LOG BACK IN.

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. In order to post comments, you must be a registered user of MiamiHerald.com. Your username will show along with the comments you post. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

     Showing: Oldest first Newest first Most-recommended first Least-recommended first

@Nyx.AuthorDisplayName@ wrote on @Nyx.PostedAtTime@:

@Nyx.CommentBody@

@Nyx.Recommender@ @Nyx.AbuseReporter@