Watched this tense French language drama without knowing anything of the true story it was based on. Well, I looked up the story afterwards and I was glad not to have known. The tension is kept pretty taut, the nanny character managing to stay on the right side of believability, which is more ominous somehow than some cliched depiction of derangement. The parents of the two children ignore the warning signs out of self interest and convenience. You want to shake them from their complacency. A creeping dread prevails with each passing scene, a lot of it commonplace but just a touch (and sometimes more) out of kilter. Overall, it's worth 90 mins of your time.
18 Reviews
The big bad wolf
nqure5 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I anticipated a dark psychological thriller, more in the French tradition of Chabrol, 'The Page Turner', but this film is more of a serious study of intimate relationships & the breakdown of a personality that eventually becomes so unhinged, it commits a shocking act of violence.
'Lullaby' (UK title) is primarily about obsession as well as being a social commentary on class, & a critique on modern parenting & motherhood.
Louise, a middle-aged nanny, quickly inveigles her way into Paul & Myriam's home - a busy, young middle-class couple - by evincing an impressive calm, authoritative manner with their children. Yet gradually her brooding personality reveals itself as she tries to exert control not only over the children, but the entire family. There is a clear desperate need within her which Mila & Adam are able to fill but which goes unnoticed by others, due to a lack of interest, a preoccupation with their own lives, or simply the fact that she is only a nanny after all. For instance, towards the end of the film, when Paul & Myriam discover that Louise has given a false reference, Paul is more upset about getting penalised for tax reasons than actually trying to discover what drove her to commit this act in the first place.
The children soon become dependent on Louise, such as when she toys with them during a game of hide & seek, early on in the film, yet it soon becomes apparent that if anyone is dependent on others for her emotional state of mind, it is Louise herself. She becomes so fiercely protective of her charges to a degree that goes beyond the normal & attracts adverse attention (the incident in the playground) . She becomes sullen & withdrawn when Paul's mother assumes responsibility for Mila & Adam at short notice and their attention is drawn elsewhere, leaving her isolated & alone.
Leila Slimani's original source novel emphasized how the supposedly cosy domestic environment of a family home can possess its own sense of threat. For Myriam, it has become a constraint from which she wishes to break free & resume her own career. It soon becomes clear that Louise has an unstable, erratic personality. The big bad wolf she impersonates to amuse the children exists not only in the world of picture-books & children's stories, but in the actual guise of a well meaning adult.
We never learn the true reason regarding this desperate need (an absent daughter is mentioned as a possible reason). Louise is so insecure of her role & position, she even resorts to try and preserve her place in the family by manipulating Paul & Myriam into having another child - even prompting Mila to do her bidding - as well as performing a disturbing sex magic ritual.
However, Louise is no mere psychopath. She, too, is a victim, particularly of social & economic circumstance; she lives in a less prosperous suburb, that is dangerous at night. She lives alone, and as her hold on reality begins to slip, suffers from paranoid delusions (the surreal scene with the octopuses in the kitchen).
In one early scene, the roles are reversed and it is Louise (the child), who is chastised by Myriam (assuming the role of adult) which flags up that no matter how enmeshed she becomes in the family's emotional lives, she remains a hired servant . In that sense, the film is a complicated study of a constantly shifting master-servant relationship (echoes of 'Parasite'). Myriam may have concerns about the nanny but they are superseded by her own needs, to maintain her independence as a working mother & devolving these responsibilities on to a substitute mother figure instead. Both Paul & Myriam prioritise their own needs (career, social life) despite misgivings about Louise. Sharply critical views on modern parenthood are provided by Paul's mother, Sylvie, as well as by a concerned teacher in Mila's school. She makes the wry comment that, 'Hurry up' appears to be the most commonly uttered phrased used by parents to children, in this fast-paced, time-poor society.
The film is mostly conveyed through the perspective of Louise's gradually disintegrating personality. As pointed out by others, the film inhabits a comfortable middle class domestic milieu but one which is skewed with an increasing sense of unease and whose apparent normality is undercut by the bizarre & erratic. It is made clear to the audience that something is not quite right, the dramatic tragic irony here is that Paul & Myriam choose to cast aside doubts for their own reasons.
I agree with other reviewers that the film's strength is Karen Viard. It is a complex central performance, calling upon many shifts of mood, a fateful combination of the caring & the destructive, a maelstrom of emotions who finds a refuge in another family's home but is unnerved by any perceived threat which may undermine her tenuous position with in it (the letter towards the end offering a nursery place to Adam, which acts as the trigger towards her final act). Louise is a hired-hand (service culture, market forces, the outsourcing of care) , who can be readily dispensed with at a moment's notice, without anyone realizing the tragic effect this may have on her fragile equilibrium.
'Lullaby' (UK title) is primarily about obsession as well as being a social commentary on class, & a critique on modern parenting & motherhood.
Louise, a middle-aged nanny, quickly inveigles her way into Paul & Myriam's home - a busy, young middle-class couple - by evincing an impressive calm, authoritative manner with their children. Yet gradually her brooding personality reveals itself as she tries to exert control not only over the children, but the entire family. There is a clear desperate need within her which Mila & Adam are able to fill but which goes unnoticed by others, due to a lack of interest, a preoccupation with their own lives, or simply the fact that she is only a nanny after all. For instance, towards the end of the film, when Paul & Myriam discover that Louise has given a false reference, Paul is more upset about getting penalised for tax reasons than actually trying to discover what drove her to commit this act in the first place.
The children soon become dependent on Louise, such as when she toys with them during a game of hide & seek, early on in the film, yet it soon becomes apparent that if anyone is dependent on others for her emotional state of mind, it is Louise herself. She becomes so fiercely protective of her charges to a degree that goes beyond the normal & attracts adverse attention (the incident in the playground) . She becomes sullen & withdrawn when Paul's mother assumes responsibility for Mila & Adam at short notice and their attention is drawn elsewhere, leaving her isolated & alone.
Leila Slimani's original source novel emphasized how the supposedly cosy domestic environment of a family home can possess its own sense of threat. For Myriam, it has become a constraint from which she wishes to break free & resume her own career. It soon becomes clear that Louise has an unstable, erratic personality. The big bad wolf she impersonates to amuse the children exists not only in the world of picture-books & children's stories, but in the actual guise of a well meaning adult.
We never learn the true reason regarding this desperate need (an absent daughter is mentioned as a possible reason). Louise is so insecure of her role & position, she even resorts to try and preserve her place in the family by manipulating Paul & Myriam into having another child - even prompting Mila to do her bidding - as well as performing a disturbing sex magic ritual.
However, Louise is no mere psychopath. She, too, is a victim, particularly of social & economic circumstance; she lives in a less prosperous suburb, that is dangerous at night. She lives alone, and as her hold on reality begins to slip, suffers from paranoid delusions (the surreal scene with the octopuses in the kitchen).
In one early scene, the roles are reversed and it is Louise (the child), who is chastised by Myriam (assuming the role of adult) which flags up that no matter how enmeshed she becomes in the family's emotional lives, she remains a hired servant . In that sense, the film is a complicated study of a constantly shifting master-servant relationship (echoes of 'Parasite'). Myriam may have concerns about the nanny but they are superseded by her own needs, to maintain her independence as a working mother & devolving these responsibilities on to a substitute mother figure instead. Both Paul & Myriam prioritise their own needs (career, social life) despite misgivings about Louise. Sharply critical views on modern parenthood are provided by Paul's mother, Sylvie, as well as by a concerned teacher in Mila's school. She makes the wry comment that, 'Hurry up' appears to be the most commonly uttered phrased used by parents to children, in this fast-paced, time-poor society.
The film is mostly conveyed through the perspective of Louise's gradually disintegrating personality. As pointed out by others, the film inhabits a comfortable middle class domestic milieu but one which is skewed with an increasing sense of unease and whose apparent normality is undercut by the bizarre & erratic. It is made clear to the audience that something is not quite right, the dramatic tragic irony here is that Paul & Myriam choose to cast aside doubts for their own reasons.
I agree with other reviewers that the film's strength is Karen Viard. It is a complex central performance, calling upon many shifts of mood, a fateful combination of the caring & the destructive, a maelstrom of emotions who finds a refuge in another family's home but is unnerved by any perceived threat which may undermine her tenuous position with in it (the letter towards the end offering a nursery place to Adam, which acts as the trigger towards her final act). Louise is a hired-hand (service culture, market forces, the outsourcing of care) , who can be readily dispensed with at a moment's notice, without anyone realizing the tragic effect this may have on her fragile equilibrium.
Mary Poppins turned Medea.
ulicknormanowen15 October 2020
The nanny is par excellence evil: from "the omen" to "the nanny " to "to the hand that rocks the cradle" ,they are a nuisance to live with at home .
"Chanson douce " is actually closer to Claude Chabrol's "la cérémonie" ,based on Ruth Rendell 's absorbing novel ,which had spawned another (Canadian) version before . The problem is that,not only Lucie Borteleau does not possess Chabrol's mastery ,but the main actress is left to her own devices ,with no other actor providing a credible counterpart :in "la cérémonie" ,servant Sandrine Bonnaire was joined by green-grocer Huppert ,and both made a sensational pair.
Karine Viard is the ONLY reason why you would see this movie through ;one of the best contemporary French actresses,everything rests on her shoulders ;everything! a very complex woman ,she makes the viewer think she's irrational from her very first scene : she's too perfect, too nice ,too madonna-like ,too devoted ; little by little ,cracks appear in the mirror: she's so possessive she does not want HER children to play with the others in the park ; she urges the little girl to coax her parents into making a little baby; sometimes she may be almost frightening when she plays the wolf ;the actress is so gifted and so convincing one can wonder why her director felt compelled to introduce a "monster" crawling out of the sink !Filler indeed and too facile!
Unfortunately ,the other characters are cardboard : mom is ,as it is often the case ,if we are to believe the screenwriters ,a lawyer ,and she and mainly her hubby are totally bland ; there could have been an interesting issue when the man screams :"she's our employee",but the social relationship is only skimmed over ; the rich bourgeois's wasting -Louise is absolutely right,as far as the yogourts are concerned- might have fitted the "chanson douce" concept.But grandma ,whose favorite pastime is to play the fool with her grandchildren (to infuriate the nanny?),it takes the biscuit!the actress is so unbearable it's a blessing her screen time is short.If it weren't for Viard's performance , the movie would be devoid of any dramatic progression and the ending would not make any sense (and would not justify the mother's misgivings in the first scene.)
The novel on which the movie is based was awarded the Prix Goncourt 2016. The movie is not worth a Cesar but I give an extra star to the movie , dedicated to Miss Viard .
"Chanson douce " is actually closer to Claude Chabrol's "la cérémonie" ,based on Ruth Rendell 's absorbing novel ,which had spawned another (Canadian) version before . The problem is that,not only Lucie Borteleau does not possess Chabrol's mastery ,but the main actress is left to her own devices ,with no other actor providing a credible counterpart :in "la cérémonie" ,servant Sandrine Bonnaire was joined by green-grocer Huppert ,and both made a sensational pair.
Karine Viard is the ONLY reason why you would see this movie through ;one of the best contemporary French actresses,everything rests on her shoulders ;everything! a very complex woman ,she makes the viewer think she's irrational from her very first scene : she's too perfect, too nice ,too madonna-like ,too devoted ; little by little ,cracks appear in the mirror: she's so possessive she does not want HER children to play with the others in the park ; she urges the little girl to coax her parents into making a little baby; sometimes she may be almost frightening when she plays the wolf ;the actress is so gifted and so convincing one can wonder why her director felt compelled to introduce a "monster" crawling out of the sink !Filler indeed and too facile!
Unfortunately ,the other characters are cardboard : mom is ,as it is often the case ,if we are to believe the screenwriters ,a lawyer ,and she and mainly her hubby are totally bland ; there could have been an interesting issue when the man screams :"she's our employee",but the social relationship is only skimmed over ; the rich bourgeois's wasting -Louise is absolutely right,as far as the yogourts are concerned- might have fitted the "chanson douce" concept.But grandma ,whose favorite pastime is to play the fool with her grandchildren (to infuriate the nanny?),it takes the biscuit!the actress is so unbearable it's a blessing her screen time is short.If it weren't for Viard's performance , the movie would be devoid of any dramatic progression and the ending would not make any sense (and would not justify the mother's misgivings in the first scene.)
The novel on which the movie is based was awarded the Prix Goncourt 2016. The movie is not worth a Cesar but I give an extra star to the movie , dedicated to Miss Viard .
A crazy world
avindugunasinghe26 March 2023
Perfect Nanny is a good depiction of the distant relationships in our society. We can see a monster evolving gradually but the story subtly make an emphasis on the negligence of the parents. How they fail to understand the true warning signs and how they allow the boundaries to be breached. This sensitive premise was well narrated with the excellent performances by the cast. Karin Viard's performance was exceptional, a smile that's quickly turning to creepy grin, a stare that's too long and disturbing biting scenes draw a perfect image of the real horror that awaits. Visuals including the surroundings are perfectly fitting. Busy streets Myriam dissapears into may suggest her role in the chaos as well. Excellent special effects as well. Perfect Nanny is a perfect horror story that's both disturbing and alarming.
Chanson Douce
erik16126 September 2020
Rather disappointing
Vindelander22 June 2022
Whilst the acting is good the storyline isn't and really it's all rather pointless right up to the rather twisted ending. It's a story that's been told before and better in films like The Hand That Rocks The Cradle.
I can't recommend it I'm afraid.
I can't recommend it I'm afraid.
Doesn't translate well to the big screen
adamonIMDb31 July 2022
Screen adaptations of thriller novels can be hit and miss and I'm afraid this one is firmly in the 'miss' category for me. It's extremely slow, fails to build any kind of suspense or tension, and I frankly didn't care for any of the characters or their fate (including the two children, as harsh as that may sound).
Perhaps the only positive is the acting - Karin Viard puts in a good performance as main character Louise and at least makes the film watchable. The ending was rather predictable too and doesn't have the shock-factor the director would have hoped for.
All-in-all, another poor and frankly boring screen adaptation of a thriller novel. It wasn't worth making and it's certainly not worth watching.
Perhaps the only positive is the acting - Karin Viard puts in a good performance as main character Louise and at least makes the film watchable. The ending was rather predictable too and doesn't have the shock-factor the director would have hoped for.
All-in-all, another poor and frankly boring screen adaptation of a thriller novel. It wasn't worth making and it's certainly not worth watching.
So much promise, but then a dreadful ending...
vnmjdcv7 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I was really enjoying "Lullaby"(or "Chanson Douce" if you prefer the French title) right up until the final couple of minutes.
An excellent examination of character and class in contemporary France.
Solid performances by all the cast and an intriguing psychological story about love, trust and betrayal.
The ending was going to be difficult however you look at it: will she abduct the children and disappear? Will she push the grandmother down the stairs? Will there be a Play Misty for Me/ The Hand That Rocks The Cradle/Fatal Attraction bloodbath?
Any one of these would have at least given the film some kind of closure.
But no. It just ends ambiguously with blood everywhere and the husband casually staring up at the balcony. Eh? What? So did the kids survive? Was Louise dead?
And of course, WHY? We can only speculate as to the reasons behind her violent outburst.
It's almost as if the director ran out of steam and couldn't be bothered turning up for the last day of the shoot.
Sooooooo disappointing!!!!
An excellent examination of character and class in contemporary France.
Solid performances by all the cast and an intriguing psychological story about love, trust and betrayal.
The ending was going to be difficult however you look at it: will she abduct the children and disappear? Will she push the grandmother down the stairs? Will there be a Play Misty for Me/ The Hand That Rocks The Cradle/Fatal Attraction bloodbath?
Any one of these would have at least given the film some kind of closure.
But no. It just ends ambiguously with blood everywhere and the husband casually staring up at the balcony. Eh? What? So did the kids survive? Was Louise dead?
And of course, WHY? We can only speculate as to the reasons behind her violent outburst.
It's almost as if the director ran out of steam and couldn't be bothered turning up for the last day of the shoot.
Sooooooo disappointing!!!!
Choose wisely
kosmasp25 July 2021
I have to admit, when I read thriller I thought this was going to be over the top ... but overall that is something the movie can not be accused of. Yes there is a characer who takes things to far. But even small things are served in small bites for us to chew - no pun intended.
The central performance is amazing - and while I am still struggling with that end ... it still elevates the movie for me. Of course that can go either way for the viewers. Which by the way if you say you are using spoilers, I'd hope you would actually talk about something than being vague about it - like an open review - again no pun intended.
This creeps up on you for sure and while you may not agree with certain decision the characters take ... you can understand them. Empathy can be a great thing ... sometimes it is "wasted" on the wrong person. But how could you know that, right? Really well done and slow moving (pace wise), this will not be everyones tea ... but those who will like it, will actually cherish it.
The central performance is amazing - and while I am still struggling with that end ... it still elevates the movie for me. Of course that can go either way for the viewers. Which by the way if you say you are using spoilers, I'd hope you would actually talk about something than being vague about it - like an open review - again no pun intended.
This creeps up on you for sure and while you may not agree with certain decision the characters take ... you can understand them. Empathy can be a great thing ... sometimes it is "wasted" on the wrong person. But how could you know that, right? Really well done and slow moving (pace wise), this will not be everyones tea ... but those who will like it, will actually cherish it.
What Americans expect French films to be
Tortuman27 November 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Entertaining and useful to listen to French as they speak veery slowly.
However, very typically French in the sense of slowness , having characters looking interesting while saying empty lines for the sake of saying something and of course, very French nudity scenes. Really, is there a point to see the nanny having a shower? If you want to show her sleeping does she actually to be naked? French people do use pijamas, you know.
Of course, in French films even in deep depression women have time to have perfectly shaved legs and private areas.
Okay movie, but it´s not a thriller or a mystery, I would call it a typically French movie filmed for the foreign market.
However, very typically French in the sense of slowness , having characters looking interesting while saying empty lines for the sake of saying something and of course, very French nudity scenes. Really, is there a point to see the nanny having a shower? If you want to show her sleeping does she actually to be naked? French people do use pijamas, you know.
Of course, in French films even in deep depression women have time to have perfectly shaved legs and private areas.
Okay movie, but it´s not a thriller or a mystery, I would call it a typically French movie filmed for the foreign market.
Is this another Mommy-Guilt Trip?
zekeblack4 June 2022
Check your child minders, then check again
Little_Tyke2 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I would have regretted watching this movie, because the ending was so horrific. But then I discovered that the story was very closely based on an actual case in New York in 2012, so then it became a warning to parents everywhere to be much more vigilant when searching for a child minder. A relatively short interview is not enough, and candidates may be in cahoots with dubious referees being asked for references. But how come just anyone, a total stranger, can come into someone's home and be trusted with the care of children without child services or the appropriate agency vetting the prospective employee first?
That said, there were enough clues in the story, taking it at face value, that Louise, the child minder, was daft in the head. The way she was abrupt with her employer when she did not get her own way and flounced off home with hardly an au revoir. Later, the daughter told her mother that Louise had done a wee in the children's potty, but the mother just disregarded this as a made-up story and did not ponder even for a minute why would a very young child think of making up that particular scenario, as it is so outlandish. The Arab woman, Louise's kind of friend from the playground, started to become worried about Louise's attitude, but did not mention it to the parents. The man's mother, Sylvie, came for dinner and stated categorically that Louise was dangerous. Again, the parents did not react. Their own lives were too important to be thinking what might be happening in the apartment while the parents were at work.
A terrible, shocking case in real life and more than adequately depicted in the movie.
That said, there were enough clues in the story, taking it at face value, that Louise, the child minder, was daft in the head. The way she was abrupt with her employer when she did not get her own way and flounced off home with hardly an au revoir. Later, the daughter told her mother that Louise had done a wee in the children's potty, but the mother just disregarded this as a made-up story and did not ponder even for a minute why would a very young child think of making up that particular scenario, as it is so outlandish. The Arab woman, Louise's kind of friend from the playground, started to become worried about Louise's attitude, but did not mention it to the parents. The man's mother, Sylvie, came for dinner and stated categorically that Louise was dangerous. Again, the parents did not react. Their own lives were too important to be thinking what might be happening in the apartment while the parents were at work.
A terrible, shocking case in real life and more than adequately depicted in the movie.
So much build-up...
halbian18 May 2021
Sick and Disturbing
crumpytv12 July 2022
No entertainment value whatsoever.
Early in the film I kept waiting for something to happen, but it never did.
I found it impossible to have sympathy with the adult lead characters and soon found myself wishing it would end.
When it did I wish I had never bothered.
Early in the film I kept waiting for something to happen, but it never did.
I found it impossible to have sympathy with the adult lead characters and soon found myself wishing it would end.
When it did I wish I had never bothered.
Terrific lead actor, bland script
borgolarici18 March 2023
Karin Viard's performance is just excellent: she's subtly unhinged, creepily obsessive and in the end plainly scary. Her character's background is barely delineated but we can see everything through her every move and word.
The parents are also good in their own way, but they don't have much script to work with: despite having to deal with an increasingly weird (to be kind) nanny, they seem to be unable to face the problem and act passively in most occasions (especially the mom). This creates an imbalance of tension in the movie and the natural climax doesn't feel as devastating as it should be.
The parents are also good in their own way, but they don't have much script to work with: despite having to deal with an increasingly weird (to be kind) nanny, they seem to be unable to face the problem and act passively in most occasions (especially the mom). This creates an imbalance of tension in the movie and the natural climax doesn't feel as devastating as it should be.
Louise
searchanddestroy-117 October 2020
This French feature is definitely not a crime drama; THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADDLE, back in 1992, starring Rebecca De Mornay, another evil nanny tale, WAS a thriller, with criminal elements. Here, you have nothing of the sort, only a pure depressing drama, showing a Karine Viard at her very best. That's only a shame that her character is not more deeply explained, many holes on this matter, but maybe that was a decision of the producers ad writers, to enhance the mystery behind her role. Karine Viard is the very highlight of this movie. She is not Jessica Walter in PLAY MISTY FOR ME, though the topic of this first Clint Eastwood's film was not the same at all. It was also question of a f...twisted mind gal. The scene at her home with the octopus was certainly inspired by a sequence from Jean Pierre Melville's LE CERCLE ROUGE. Remember Yves Montand, drunk, alone in his home...
Tense...
pauliewalnuts-4935616 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
A very good film,the tension rises with you thinking "what is she going to do?"...
A previous review lamented the open endings in French film...but that is one of the reasons I love French cinema,the open endings treat you as an adult and make you think.
I think it was pretty obvious what happened in the end here,which is not the happy ending an American movie would have.
I think it was pretty obvious what happened in the end here,which is not the happy ending an American movie would have.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
