She played under the direction of Paul Verhoeven in Black book. No doubt they talked about cinema and sexuality together. In any case, the film by screenwriter, director and actress Halina Reijn is a pure erotic thriller which challenges certain taboos… without being totally revolutionary.
Written, produced and directed by a woman, Babygirl explores the unfulfilled sexual fantasies of a New York “executive woman” who will throw her life into disarray when her sex life explodes.
Romy (Nicole Kidman) is a feared female CEO, married to a theater director, Jacob (Antonio Banderas). They lead a comfortable existence in a sumptuous property with their two daughters. She works a lot, is content with conventional love. And then Samuel arrives at Romy’s company for an internship. He’s seductive, instinctive, handsome, intelligent. He feels the emotional void that Romy exudes and, very quickly, shakes up conventions by forcing her to confront her desires, her most secret fantasies.
Soon, she becomes addicted to their encounters which smell of secrecy, freedom and for her (this is new), orgasm. But Samuel pushes his pawns a little too much. Will Romy put up with endangering her family life?
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Not totally subversive
If Halina Reijn films this sexual thriller with great elegance, and if Nicole Kidman gives a lot of herself in this role which will undoubtedly mark her career, Babygirl do not leave the footlights of a certain wisdom. Certainly, Romy “throws her cap over the mills”, but it is nevertheless to submit to the desires of a young man. The real subversion would have been for her to take the reins.
Harris Dickinson is once again as magnetic as he is profound. He has already demonstrated, and very early in his career, that he was capable of strong, fair and inspired incarnations (Beach rats, Without filter, Scrapper): it literally radiates Halina Reijn’s film. After watching the scene where he dances in front of Nicole Kidman/Romy, you will no longer be able to hear Father figure by George Michael in the same way.
“Babygirl” – 1:54 a.m. – Wednesday, January 15
