Review of Lullaby

I knew absolutely nothing about this movie before I saw it. I only saw it because I just returned from a trip to Spain's Basque country (which I loved) and a "Basque Film Festival" was playing in my New York neighborhood. I thought this movie was terrific. At first, I thought it was going to be yet another whine about poor misunderstood and underappreciated women that the New York "non-profit" theatre has turned into a cliché. How can the poor put-upon thing handle all the stress? But, as it turned out, that's not what the movie ended up being. A young woman with a promising career has just had her first child by a man to whom she is not married. He has a promising career, too. The couple are happy, but she already feels the stress of trying to balance a relationship, a career, and a new baby all at the same time when her mate receives a lucrative job offer in another city. He thinks they can make it work, but she doesn't want him to take the job. But he does. The baby cries incessantly, despite her giving it constant attention. She goes to a coastal town to get some emotional support from her parents, but that turns out to be jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire, as a load of new responsibilities tumbles down upon her unexpectedly. I can't tell more without giving away key plot points, but let's just say that it would be a challenging position for anyone to handle.

Cast and direction are excellent, with especially fine performances from Lala Costa as the new mother and Susi Sanchez as HER mother. Both ladies give Oscar-worthy performances. This movie has a lot to say about strength of character, where it comes from, and how it works. If you want car chases and explosions, look elsewhere. This is not that kind of movie. But if you're looking for an intelligent and sensitive film about what it is to be human in today's world, pounce.