THE Argentine “Lion’s Den” is a wom en-behind-bars drama with a potent twist: It takes place in a ward housing mothers (with their young children!) and moms to be.
One of the unfortunate women is Julia, who lands in jail after her boyfriend is murdered and his boyfriend is wounded in a fight in her apartment.
Exactly what happened isn’t clear, although there’s no doubt Julia is pregnant by one of the aforementioned gentlemen.
Director Pablo Trapero isn’t able to avoid clichés of the genre — hair-pulling shower fights, lesbian come-ons. But the clichés are no more than a modest annoyance.
What sells “Lion’s Den” is the raw performance by Martina Gusman, the director’s wife and producer, as Julia.
She misses nary a beat going from expectant parent to loving mom, who challenges her own mother for custody of the boy, Tomas. (He seems reasonably adjusted for a child growing up inside a prison cell.)
The dimly lit, exquisitely composed cinematography, by Guillermo Nieto, adds to the draw of this highly recommended movie.
In Spanish, with English subtitles. Running time: 113 minutes. Not rated (violence, nudity). At the IFC Center, Sixth Avenue at Third Street.