Nicole Kidman’s character in Babygirl has it all. Almost literally.
She’s the CEO of a powerful technology company, has teenage crushes and an obedient husband who looks suspiciously like Antonio Banderas.
Her descent into lust, the kind rarely seen in modern films, is the heart of this erotic drama. It’s unfortunate that the story ends in a cowardly way that seems all too predictable given 21st century mores.
Kidman’s Romy Mathis oversees a company that embraces the edge of the high-tech world. In between digital innovations, she makes time to meet interns who are eager to jump-start their careers.
Among them is Samuel (Harris Dickinson), a lanky man who seems unaffected by the company’s status…or its leader. He goes straight to Romy, and imposes a mentoring program on her despite her harsh schedule.
She doesn’t seem able to destabilize his career progress despite the power imbalance. He has other intentions beyond career advancement, and Romy has few defenses against them.
Wink, wink. Batch, batch.
We’ll spare the details, but he convinces her to enter into a sado-masochistic relationship that threatens everything she holds dear. This includes her doting husband, Jacob (Banderas), who is unaware that Romy is dissatisfied with their lovemaking.
This is to put it mildly.
“Babygirl” features beautifully choreographed sex scenes that leave little to the imagination. Writer/director Halina Rehn (“Bodies,” the criminally overrated “Bodies”) has little time for psychological nuance. It’s about power, from the CEO who controls her followers to the lover who brings said CEO to her knees…. Then he forces her to drink milk from the plate.
This is one of the few parts that can be revealed.
Romy is thirsty for something dangerous and strange. She finds exactly that in her feisty trainee, ignoring how this case could destroy decades of hard work, love, and loyalty.
That’s certainly enough to keep our interest. It also indicates that fireworks will spread throughout the third act, in one form or another.
Unfortunately, the decision is not just devoid of detail or emotional resonance. The film is sadly woke, though other previous subplots are not. One of Rumi’s followers demonstrates his bisexuality in ways that distort feminist groupthink.
It’s unexpected and refreshing. Real life rarely wakes up, which is why cultural blight has tainted the film industry over the past decade.
The Babygirl director says the film is her answer to Nicole Kidman’s role in Eyes Wide Shut
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) December 23, 2024
“Babygirl” showcases another great turn from Kidman, although the screenplay’s lack of nuance detracts from her performance. The narration hints at her troubled past, but it is just talk. Other psychological elements are equally weak.
This type of story doesn’t just need a strong ending, or an exclamation point for narrative humor, it demands it. Reijn’s third act doesn’t come close. Affairs leave permanent scars. Marriages are never the same, even those that recover in some way.
The Little Girl’s decision was superficial, malnourished, and deeply manipulative. Kidman’s courageous role, and the romance that will impress a large number of viewers, deserve better.
Hit or miss: Babygirl offers a steamy interlude and another great turn from Nicole Kidman, but the resolution trumps the film’s best efforts.