Lullaby Movie Review: Melissa Leo As Action Mom

Fresh from her Oscar nomination for Best Actress for Frozen River, Melissa Leo once again toughs it out as a trailer park action mom in a macho hardcore world, relying on fierce maternal instinct, in South African director/co-writer Darrell Roodt’s international crime thriller, Lullaby. No less frazzled than her Canadian border immigrant smuggler in Frozen River, Leo relocates to a warmer but equally toxic clime, the hotbed of hyper-violent criminal activity in the impoverished slums of Johannesburg.

Leo is Stephanie, a kindhearted middle aged waitress in a Texas diner, as she barely makes ends meet while supporting her perpetually drunk slacker boyfriend. When she receives threatening calls from Johannesburg from ruthless gangsters demanding an increasingly hefty ransom for the release from captivity of her drug addicted son there, Stephanie panics, borrows any cash she can from willing friends, and heads to South Africa to free her son single-handedly by any means necessary, though she hasn’t a clue.

Repeatedly ordered around town by the thugs to multiple locations where she’s directed to make good on a tab that keeps rising, if she ever wants to see her son alive again, Stephanie soon realizes she’s a pawn in a cruel game. But as a devoted mom, never giving up hope. Eventually hooking up with, well a hooker named Tina (Lisa-Marie Schneider), who is simultaneously the very pregnant girlfriend of her son and the sexual property of the head combo extortionist pimp, the two women, neither of whom is in top fighting form, so to speak, pool their collective imaginations instead to outwit the malevolent con men.

The solid emotional anchor of this often fragmented and unfocused tale, Melissa Leo gives dramatic weight and substance to the somewhat sketchy material. And among the best scenes are between the two women with shattered lives grasping at survival, a frantic mother and fearless mom to be.

Peace Arch Home Entertainment

Rated R

2 1/2 stars

Hot this week

Did David Wineland and Serge Haroche Steal Idea For The Nobel Physics Prize?

Dr. Omerbashich says the Royal Swedish Academy is a Crime Scene and he has the proof that Nobel laureates stole his discovery.

New Approaches to Disaster Relief Challenges

Disaster relief has always been a challenge. NASA, Google,...

3 Legitimate Money Making Methods to Supplement Your Income

In a perfect world, when your landlord raises your...

2016 Predictions by World Renowned Medium and Psychic Lindy Baker

World renowned medium and psychic Lindy Baker is interviewed by The Hollywood Sentinel, discussing psychic power, the spirit world, life after death, areas of concern in 2016, and much more.

Digital Coupon Customers Spending More Than Double At Stores

A new study shows that customers who use digital coupons go shopping more for groceries and other household goods more often and spend more on their shopping trips.

Excellence in Action: Roberto Puerta’s Impact as Airworthiness Coordinator at Jet Air, Inc.

Roberto Puerta, the Airworthiness Coordinator - South American Import/Export...

Ender Garcia: Advancing Wireline Engineering from Venezuela to the Global Energy Sector

Ender Garcia’s professional path in petroleum engineering is defined...

Emiliana Hedderich Showcases Psychedelic Design Typography at Corcoran’s NEXT Exhibition

After years of experimentation, research, and creative growth, graphic...

Preserving Nature and the Timeless Appeal of Leaf Art in Modern Decor

In an era where innovation and preservation coexist, leaf...

Digital Signage in 2025: The Screens That Speak, Sell, and Shape Experience

Introduction It’s 2025, and digital signage has evolved from a...

Courage Comes At A Price, Also A Reward

Courage is hard to find these days. Courage you find in the state of Israel.

Iran & Israel – Worse Than World War 3: Humanity’s Decomposition

Iran & Israel fight each other on the world stage as other countries hold their breath, trying to stay out of it.

Related Articles

Popular Categories