“Babygirl” is listed as an "exotic thriller," so I expected the film to be highly sexual, and it was. I expected Nicole Kidman to deliver a quality performance, and she did. However, the entire time I watched this film, I was distracted by two things; Kidman’s lips and what in the world I was going to say on the radio about the narrative without being a spoiler.
Nicole Kidman plays Romy, a powerful CEO married to Jacob (Antonio Banderas), a successful theater director. Their sexual chemistry appears intense, but for Romy, it’s just not enough.
While on the sidewalk in front of her office building, a wildly aggressive dog, who has already attacked one passerby, lunges at Romy. A young man steps forward and quickly calms the animal. Later, that same young man, Samuel, played by Harris Dickinson, appears in Romy’s office with a group of new interns. Eventually, signals are sent and received between Romy and the much younger subordinate which lead to a sexually charged dynamic of power and submission.
What I appreciated about this film is that it offers Kidman an incredibly meaty role. At 57, she’s given the rare opportunity to showcase her strength, vulnerability, and versatility. As Romy, she’s not just a commanding CEO, but also a caring mother, a confused wife at a crossroads, and a compliant lover pushing boundaries to the limit.
I also admired how the film explored the obstacles women face in the workplace — both overt and subtle.
That said, I found myself frustrated because much like Romy’s sex life, something crucial felt missing from the narrative. The story had promise, but it didn’t fully deliver. Something about Samuel’s edgy inappropriateness toward Romy felt off. Two scenes, one in which Romy is confronted by her assistant and another where we see Samuel in a room playing with the same dog he calmed at the beginning of the film, lead me to believe there could be various explanations of how and why Samuel appeared in Romy’s world. A few more dots to connect would be helpful.
Despite the shortcomings, Kidman’s performance stands out and is definitely worth an Oscar nod.
“Babygirl” is rated R and runs 1 hour and 48 semi-unsatisfying minutes.
