In “Babygirl,” Romy Mathis (Nicole Kidman) struggles to balance the different spheres of her life. She has high ambitions, having fought to create her own company and become one of a few female CEOs. And yet she also wants to be a devoted wife and mother, getting up early to pack her kid’s lunch and make breakfast. Then there are the secret, repressed urges she only acts on late at night when alone in her bedroom and away from her husband, Jacob (Antonio Banderas).
Despite having enjoyed a happy marriage for 20 years, Romy has kept a secret from her husband: he’s never made her orgasm. Secretly, Romy fantasizes about being sexually dominated by a man and her husband can’t fulfill this dream. Romy’s desire blooms to fruition when she embarks on a BDSM-tinged affair with Samuel (Harris Dickinson) who is an intern at her company – a move that threatens both her marriage and her career.
Director Halina Reijn smartly shies away from stereotypes by making Banderas’ character a husband who is far from dull. Instead, Jacob is a smart and charming play director who doesn’t ignore his wife’s desires so much as she hides away from him, afraid to be openly vulnerable about her needs. In contrast, Samuel, a new interest to Romy, is not a smooth operator who effortlessly sweeps Romy off her feet. Samuel, a slightly disheveled, misogynistic young man who tries to act older than he really is irresistible to Romy.
The film’s color palette consists of cool blues and greys, capturing the story’s Christmastime setting and the iciness of Romy’s exterior melting under Samuel’s overwhelming presence. Their first few scenes together unfold with intrigue, as viewers watch them tentatively try to figure out the dom-sub dynamic of their relationship.
But the strength of these scenes alone is not enough to fully save the film, which struggles to fully deliver the danger and sensuality its premise promises. The film has plenty of sex but not enough sexiness. A playful montage of Romy and Samuel finding excuses to have sex during the workday should feel thrilling, but the film just goes through the motions.
Near the end of the film, the secrecy Romy has tried so hard to maintain starts to unravel. the film explores the ways women in power are different to, and yet similar, to men. Further, the film displays as well as the shame still attached to women’s sexual desires. But the film only touches on these ideas, rather than delving deeply enough into them. That doesn’t mean “Babygirl” has nothing going for it, though. Kidman delivers one of her most daring performances in recent years, drawing parallels between her work in Stanley Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut.” But the film’s ultimate weakness is that it lacks the nerve to fully commit to its purpose.
Verdict: Although “Babygirl” is a very well-made film with good performances, it doesn’t fully intrigue and excite viewers the way that good erotic thrillers do.
