You've got to hand it to Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson, the stars of Babygirl. This isn't an easy gig, as it never is when trying to explore adult sexual dynamics in a way that feels authentic and intriguing, but they rely on writer-director Halina Reijn to help them avoid looking like idiots. I'm not sure Reijn manages that though.
Kidman plays Romy, a powerful CEO who is dedicated to her job, has a loving husband (Antonio Banderas) and two daughters (Esther McGregor and Vaughan Reilly), and generally seems to have her life exactly as she wants it. She's unfulfilled sexually though, missing something that she can't define. And that's how she ends up risking a hell of a lot when she becomes drawn to a young intern, Samuel (Dickinson), who seems to make her want to submit control to him.
There are things to like about Babygirl, even things to admire. It has moments that show two people figuring out exactly what they want in a way that is as awkward and funny as any communication can be when individuals are exploring their sexual preferences and how they want to best complement one another. Occasionally embarrassing, and definitely bewildering to those who have gone through their life in complete vanilla mode, the film shows a good selection of conversations and situations that inform the consent and power-sharing between the two main characters. This subsequently allows the moments of passion to feel more heated, and it shows an escalation as they push for an ever-increasing thrill.
Reijn is clever enough to know that there are an awful lot of nerves and wariness before reaching the level of trust and confidence that these people need to have in one another, and that's where Babygirl excels. It's a lose-lose situation though, because those scenes have an inherent cringe factor for anyone simply looking on from the sidelines, as we all are while the movie plays. Where Reijn really stumbles, however, is in the ongoing, and quite tiresome, trope of always aiming to defend/support an extra-marital affair when the lead character engaging in one is female. There's no doubt that Kidman is causing harm, to herself and the ones she loves, but it's also seen as stemming from her lack of fulfilment, which is supposed to make it understandable.
Kidman and Dickinson are excellent in their roles, especially when navigating their more vulnerable moments, but their work is undermined by other elements in the script. The timeline gets a bit murky, some tensions don't really seem too bothersome in the grand scheme of things, and it's hard to remember that sensation that they're after, tied to the subterfuge and coding of their indiscretions, while they both become so relatively brazen in their behaviour. Banderas does well as the emasculated husband, helped hugely by the fact that he's Antonio Banderas, McGregor and Vaughan are fine as the two daughters who inevitably sense when things start to go sour, and Sophie Wilde does very well in the role of Esme, a PA to Kidman's character who wants to go to the next stage in her career.
It's, ironically, hard to put a finger on just why this doesn't quite work. The performances are all very good, there's an eclectic and enjoyable soundtrack, and it's refreshing to see someone even attempting to seriously explore this subject matter in a way that is responsible and quite authentic. Maybe it can't ever work in a straightforward film though, and that might be why we should be happy when we get wonderfully strange delights like Secretary and The Duke Of Burgundy.
5/10
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