As I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for American history—chalk it up to formative years spent living in New England, where the Founding Fathers always seem to be up in your grill—I was pretty excited to see that HBO was producing a new miniseries, John Adams, based on the life of the USA’s second president. (Actually, strictly speaking, the series is based on David McCullough’s acclaimed book about his life.)

The seven-part series, now out on DVD, stars Paul Giamatti as the feisty, often difficult lawyer, gentleman farmer, diplomat and president. The show follows his career from his early days defending the soldiers implicated in the Boston Massacre through the creation of the Declaration of Independence and on to his time in France and eventual election as president. Along for the ride are Laura Linney as his wife Abigail, Danny Huston as second cousin and fellow Founding Father Samuel Adams, David Morse as George Washington, Justin Theroux as John Hancock and a delightful Tom Wilkinson as Benjamin Franklin. Made with HBO’s regular high standard of quality, the series can be slow at times, but for the most part, it’s an excellent, engrossing portrait of early America. History made fun! Go figure.

If you only see one harrowing Romanian abortion drama this year, make it 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days. Yeah, the acclaimed film from director Cristian Mungiu is a hard sell, based on the description alone, but it’s not to be missed.

Set in the late ’80s, the twilight of the Communist era, the film follows a student named Otilia (a brilliant Anamaria Marinca) as she tries to secure an illegal abortion for her friend Gabriela (Laura Vasiliu). It’s… yeah, it’s a bit of a bummer. But amazingly made. Mungiu makes excellent use of the camera, whether he’s moving it or keeping it still as action happens in and around the frame. Don’t miss it.