Babygirl

Film Review by Ekow Daniels

Dutch writer/director Halina Reijn’s new feature ‘Babygirl’ is an exercise in boldness. The film is a fresh take on the age old story of self-discovery and self-destruction.

In the movie Nicole Kidman plays Romy, a highly successful CEO of a robotics company by day and sexual submissive by night. Despite having a picture-perfect home life with a loving husband and two daughters, Romy remains unseen and sexually unsatisfied until she meets an intern (Samuel) at her company who sees a side of her that’s she’s been hiding - her sexual identity.

Two older films come to mind when watching Babygirl - Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ and Adrian Lyne’s ‘Unfaithful’. All three deal with infidelity and the razor’s edge one walks  when engaging in it. What stands out in ‘Babygirl’ is the feral, masochistic nature of Romy and Samuel’s illicit encounters. These encounters leave Romy in equal parts exhilarated, scared, embarrassed and liberated.

Reijn’s film presents an unvarnished view into shifting power differentials. The CEO has power over an intern just as much as a dom has power over a sub. Romy the titan gives in to the commands of Samuel the peon. Their initial encounters are awkward and uncomfortable both for them and the audience. It’s like watching two porcupines mate. The fact that Romy is cheating on her husband, theater director Jacob (played admirably by Antonio Banderas) is  intriguing, but what she needs for sexual fulfillment is even more so.

The performances are strong all around, but the film belongs to Kidman whose brilliant portrayal is both brave and vulnerable. At 57, Kidman is doing the best work of her career both on TV and the big screen.

Reijn’s direction is intimate, raw and unyielding. She pulls no punches and lets scenes breathe until they become difficult to watch. The cinematography is harsh and unfiltered, making the film feel more realistic. I did have a problem with the bombastic score which, at times, threatened to overwhelm the visuals.

All in all, ‘Babygirl’ is a fascinatingly frank and thought-provoking exploration of human sexuality that also turns the tables on workplace sexual politics  Be prepared as this film earns its R rating, but it’s well worth the watch.

Overall rating: 4/5

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