Cinema for Brunch BABYGIRL Review

Nicole Kidman delivers a strong, complex performance “Babygirl”, an interesting yet generic erotic dramedy about control and consent.

Synopsis

A high-powered CEO puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with a much younger intern.

Review
In the year 2024, it would be foolish of us not to admit that the maverick beloved studio A24 doesn’t have what could be considered the “typical A24 film”. Pitch an erotic thriller that could be described as “’9 ½ Weeks’ and ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ with nuance” with Nicole Kidman in the lead and boom, you have your “typical A24 film”. A film that at least aims to break the mold or subvert the ground on which its genre stands and leaves much room for intrigue in its construction (Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson casted as lovers, Halina Reijn as director, etc). In Halina Rejin’s “Babygirl” an “erotic thriller” that I would more so describe as an erotic dramedy instead, we definitely have an interesting entry in the A24 canon. The film follows tech CEO Romy Mathis (Nicole Kidman), a married mother of two that is dissatisfied with her sex life with her theater director husband Jacob (Antonio Banderas). One day, she meets an intern, the enigmatic Samuel (Harris Dickinson), who sexually propositions her during a private meeting. After some push and pull from both sides, the two embark on a torrid sexual affair that could take away everything Romy has worked hard for. There is a nice reversal of power and control that occurs between Romy and Samuel – where Romy calls the shots at work and in her daily life but inside hotel rooms Samuel calls the shots on her. With a talented cast at hand and a skillful director at the helm, the question begs to be asked – does this film really break the mold on erotic films or does it just build upon the groundwork of others while not bringing anything new?

For an actress that has a varied, stellar career of performances that range from the dramatic to the compelling to the terrifying to the camp, Romy is a perfect role for Nicole Kidman to sink her teeth into. It’s a naturalistic role that requires nuance in both facial expressions and line delivery. Kidman, no stranger to delivering looks of anguish, hilarity, terror, lust and other emotions, feels right at home in the daring role. Romy is a woman that is in control, she takes care of her business and she peculiarly always puts herself into protector mode (“I don’t want to hurt you” and “I just want to protect you” being statements she repeatedly says throughout the film). Her connection to Samuel is what makes her even more a strange, interesting character. For a woman that has so much control, the one thing she desires is lack of such which is where her submissive relationship with Samuel comes into play. She wants to be controlled and to be told what to do. Samuel is a young, enigmatic character that represents the unpredictability that is missing from Romy’s life. He looks at sexuality and their secret erotic get-togethers as matter-of-fact and nothing more compelling than that. Besides those traits, Samuel is a character that unfortunately lacks a lot of depth. Being enigmatic is fine but the best enigmatic characters have a purpose or at least something at stake – Samuel has neither. Harris Dickinson does the best with what’s he got, carrying himself well in the role and sharing great chemistry with Kidman. Samuel and Romy’s relationship, as steamy as it is, starts off awkwardly but in a realistic way. Romy has a whole company and family at stake and there’s a funny push-pull dynamic that occurs between these two that adds a level of realism to this forbidden corporate hookup. All that aside, there are some great standouts in the supporting cast. Sophie Wilde leaves a good impression as Esme, Romy’s assistant, sharing a great, tense moment with Kidman towards the film’s climax. Antonio Banderas, also delivers understated work as Romy’s husband Jacob, never taking the spotlight away from Kidman but also sharing great chemistry with her onscreen.

“Babygirl” works better as an erotic dramedy than as an erotic thriller. There is palpable drama and comedy within Halina Raijn’s script that keeps the story moving but it never really feels like a “thriller”. There’s no erratic Glenn Close waiting around the corner with a knife and there’s no real stake at hand that could end in murder or tragic circumstances that would make this a “thriller”. But aside from confusing labels, this isn’t Halina Reijn’s first film about consent and the complexities of such – her first foray being the acclaimed, controversial 2019 film “Instinct” (her directorial debut). There is a realism she brings to the beginning of Romy and Samuel’s relationship and how rules are made and enforced within this “dominant-submissive” union but…like many erotic films, the film loses some steam as the relationship deepens and people (whether it be the spouse, the friend, the co-worker, whatever) are in danger of finding out. The stakes here and the danger of this relationship being found out is rather generic and the film doesn’t take the danger (nor repercussions) as far as it should. It rather plays the fallout portion of the story safe. As far as nudity goes, Kidman bares all but it’s not shown through a harsh male gaze. Reijn shoots the intimate scenes with skill and a unique POV, never using Romy as an object of lust but rather as a participant in this “experiment” her and Samuel are conducting. The one gripe I have with this part of the film (and one I share with most erotic films) is that while Kidman strips her clothing, Dickinson mostly just takes off his shirt during these intimate scenes. Whether it’s a decision on Reijn or Kidman’s part, I find it a bit unfair that both actors weren’t in the buff rather than just one. It’s another factor that keeps the scales of stakes unbalanced both in character and performance.

Closing Thoughts
“Babygirl” doesn’t break the mold of erotic films that have come before it but it is anchored by a strong performance from Nicole Kidman. She delivers a fearless, complex performance that elevates the film and adds layers to Halina Reijn’s humorous script. Even though it falls apart in its third act, “Babygirl” is an entertaining, sexy story of control and consent. There’s a solid chemistry between Kidman and Dickinson that keeps the audience engaged but beyond the lead performance, the sexy chemistry and a humorous George Michael needle drop, there isn’t anything necessarily groundbreaking about the film.

Trailer