HOLLYWOOD—The buzz for this movie was so big that I knew the first chance I had the opportunity to watch it I would find a way. After seeing Nicole Kidman in the erotic drama “Babygirl” I am still conflicted about the movie because it wasn’t what I expected it to be, but I still found myself fascinated watching it. It has a level of nuance to it that doesn’t feel like it’s too much, but then it does indeed push the envelope in ways that make you question relationships, intimacy, sex, dominance, power and pornography.
Yes, I know that is loaded, but those were all the things circling and floating in my head while watching and after watching this movie. If there is one thing that holds true it is that Nicole Kidman delivers a performance unlike any other. Yes, I am truly baffled after seeing this movie how she missed the cut for a Best Actress nomination. Yes, there is sex in this movie, and it is considered graphic at times, but I would argue it teeters more on being uncomfortable more than anything. With that said, Kidman commits to this role and it’s fantastic to watch her on the screen in such a vulnerable position, yet powerful at the same time.
If Emma Stone can land an Oscar nomination and a victory for prancing around virtually nude and not really doing much but odd faces for “Poor Things,” what Nicole does here is exceptionally better. Sorry, I hated “Poor Things” which was adored by critics, yet a movie like “Babygirl” that has more range and substance to it doesn’t receive the type of love that it should because perhaps the woman is the power player, says a lot.
Kidman portrays Romy, a powerful CEO at a company where she is well revered and respect by the staff and the public. However, Romy is not satisfied with her love life at home with husband, Jacob (Antonio Banderas). The movie opens with the couple having sex, only for Romy to sneak off later to watch pornography. That first scene did immediately make me say, “Hey, what is ‘Babygirl’ trying to say here? Does the movie have a bigger picture or goal in play than what I initially expected.”
A chance encounter with a man who stops a dog from attacking kicks into gear a torrid affair that has a massive payoff for Romy when it comes to her sexual satisfaction, while balancing her image and ability as the CEO of her company. That stranger turns out to be Samuel portrayed with calm confidence by Harris Dickinson. Romy thinks nothing of it at first, but once she discovers that Samuel is part of the new group of interns at her company, she takes an interest in getting to know him.
There is no definitive answer given as to why Romy takes a liking to this young man, because I wasn’t buying that theory because he was able to stop that dog that was about to attack her. Samuel and Romy engage in a torrid affair, where it becomes more obvious that Romy wants to be dominated and Samuel gives her just that, something that Jacob has no idea about. The unfortunate aspect is that Romy teases to her husband that she enjoys such behavior, but he finds it disturbing. The movie does play with this narrative that Romy is conflicted by what she endures. She wants the dominance at times, but then others she doesn’t especially with the idea that her ideal family life with her husband and children could be upended by her secret affair. An affair that Samuel uses to his advantage to get what he wants.
“Babygirl” did not deliver the knockout punch that I had expected for a movie that had been so heavily buzzed about. However, the intriguing aspect of a world of sex, relationships, dominance, pornography and eroticism puts the spotlight on America. What do we enjoy? What don’t we? What makes us tick and what happens when that becomes entangled with the corporate world? What are we doing behind closed doors we don’t want the rest of the world to know. One thing for sure is that this is a movie for adults, not the kiddos in any capacity and trust me you will be thinking while watching the movie and after you finish “Babygirl.”
