A slyly funny, thrillingly confident work full of wit, irony and empathy, this robust ensemble piece unfolds over two days in late December 1989 in a Bucharest sapped of seasonal spirit, as white-hot, sidewalk-level fury at the Nicolae Ceausescu regime cuts through the December cold. Even as TV bureaucrats put the final touches on New Year’s shows that glorify the president, the streets are alive with demonstrations and students mock the regime through art. Meanwhile, behind closed doors, families grapple with personal conflicts and the omnipresent Secret Police. Six seemingly disconnected lives intersect in unexpected ways. As tensions reach a boiling point, an explosive moment brings them together, culminating in the dramatic fall of Ceausescu and the communist regime. –AS