57-year-old Nicole Kidman is everywhere nowadays, which is an amazing feat considering Hollywood’s ingrained ageism. Unfortunately, the roles aren’t always Oscars material. More like quantity over quality. Until now - in "Babygirl" she shakes things up with her bold and uninhibited performance.
Romy (Kidman) is the CEO of a technology company. She is seduced by intern Sam (Harris Dickinson). He senses that she enjoys being dominated, unlike her husband Jacob (Antonio Banderas) with whom she has never experienced an orgasm. Her awkward attempts to explain her inclinations to Jacob only confuse him, especially since she doesn’t seem to fully understand them herself. She’s embarrassed and brushes it off as a joke. After all, female sexuality isn’t that important, is it?
But Sam seems to know exactly what she wants. It must be mentioned that the chemistry between them (unlike between her and Zac Efron in “A Family Affair” which was painfully non-existent) is excellent. A perfect pairing! He takes the lead and tells her what to do, and she follows. When he moves her around she almost feels like a Barbie doll in a dollhouse. The hotel room becomes a fantasy world of desires.
However, their heated encounters become increasingly complicated. He has a hold over her and his dominance reaches far beyond the bedroom. He shows up at her home. He takes liberties. Her entire career and family are suddenly at risk, because the balance of power is fragile and it wouldn't take much for everything to tumble...
But behind all the eroticism, “Babygirl” is a thought-provoking film with a feminist message about female sexuality and the importance of embracing your authentic self. To not feel shame. Especially for Kidman's generation of women, many of whom have been groomed by society to put their partner's pleasure ahead of their own. After all, marital rape was not considered a crime in the U.S. until 1993...
The point of the movie is to embrace our authentic selves. So even though the film can be described as an erotic thriller, director Halina Reijn has created a thought-provoking work that extends beyond eroticism. And cinematographer Jasper Wolf creates a beautiful backdrop to Reijn's compelling story.
“Babygirl” has won awards at prestigious film festivals such as Venice and Palm Springs, and in January we can look forward to its Swedish release. A must-see film not to be missed!
Rating 4/5
