Nicole Kidman’s sex drama Babygirl renews gender roles

Nicole Kidman acting In Babygirl the CEO of a technology company, Romya, who begins a sexual relationship with his young subordinate. It’s as much a power play as it is a pursuit of pleasure.

The feeling of danger is increased by the fact that the trainee Samuel (Harris Dickinson) always requires more space. In Romy’s world, weaknesses are not shown and their existence must not be admitted, but the relationship with Samuel is a huge risk. A mere hint of a manager’s relationship with a subordinate could destroy a career.

If Dutch Halina Reijnin written and directed by Babygirl brings to mind the sex thrillers of the 1980s and 1990s, such as A dangerous relationship and Basic Instinctinthe viewer is on the right track.

“I loved those movies and I still do,” says Reijn in a video interview from London.

“Many were really sexist, but with them I felt seen.”

Reijn readily admits baby girl to have been inspired by that genre, which was later heavily criticized for its attitudes.

“With those films, I felt that erotic feelings were normal. Of course, the boring thing about them was that everyone was punished and especially the cheating women had to die at the end.”

It brought a narrowness to the type of sport, which Reijn wanted far from.

“I wanted to use the clichés of the sport and bring humor.”

He gives an example of a scene where Samuel dances seductively and Romy looks at him while sitting in a chair. It’s a copy 9 1/2 weeks -from the scene in the movie where Kim Basinger is dancing Mickey Rourkelle.

Babygirl is not a thriller in the traditional sense with the threat of death. It’s a sex-aestheticizing movie about preferences and desires. Even more, it tells about the uncertainty that living in strict roles creates.

Nothing goes like in those erotic thrillers with bad guys and moralizing punishments. Romy’s husband, theater director Jacob (Antonio Banderas) is neither a crook nor a victim.

“All the main characters are human and contradictory”, sums up Reijn.

“When Romy’s assistant blackmails her boss about her relationship, she does it because she demands that Romy be a better role model.”

The film is an American production and takes place in New York. It already seems strange that a film that approaches sexuality in such an adult way comes from a country that is becoming more and more puritanical.

“The pressure to talk freely about these issues is only increasing,” Reijn assesses.

“Even though I’m from Europe, liberal Holland, and I’ve done very sexual plays, I also identify with the American way of thinking that rejects sex.”

Reijn declares that in his private life he is more rigid than a frolic.

“I feel friction: I’d like to be braver, but I’m not. Printer baby girl right after I moved to the US. It was born from the meeting of these opposing forces.”

Kidman was awarded baby girl for the role at the Venice Film Festival. The actor was initially an active party in the chain of events that led to the making of the film.

Reijn was a well-known film and theater actor in his home country, whose film directorial debut Instinct gathered festival attention in 2019.

“Nicole watches all the world’s acclaimed films by female directors,” Reijn describes.

“We already met at that time. That’s partly why he was on my mind when I wrote Babygirlia.”

Reijn describes Kidman as just right for the role, which requires a balance of toughness and vulnerability, as well as the courage to show the dark side of people.

“He brings with him a radical honesty that I wanted from other actors as well. One that also gives room for humor,” Reijn describes.

“The filming of the film is a terribly artificial environment. But it’s a fairy tale, not a documentary. Sincerity can be requested, but not demanded.”

film director, writer and actress Halina Reijn raises a film director as one of her role models Paul Verhoevenin. Dutchman Verhoeven, who made a career in Hollywood, is known for provocative entertainment films, the most successful of which is Basic Instinct.

“I love his films and I grew up with them,” says Reijn.

“He dealt with taboo subjects in a funny way. His films show the freedom of an artist, and his characters are always passionate and full of energy.”

Reijn played a central role in an incorrect war film Black Bookwhich Verhoeven directed after returning to Holland in 2006.

Also Babygirlia called provocative in press materials. For Reijn, the word means something to which the artist has an obligation.

“A play, painting, novel or film can stimulate discussion. It can lead to fear, pain and embarrassment,” says Reijn.

“People are wonderful and dark and funny. We all die. Before that, we can argue about what is problematic in art at any given time or we can accept the absurdity of the world.”