Modern Flâneuse

Spotlight on The Babygirl

On the third day of the Venice Film Festival, another highly anticipated premiere took place: The Babygirl by Halina Reijn. The film features Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Antonio Banderas, and Sophie Wilde. It centers on a woman, the CEO of a delivery automation company, and her affair with an intern she mentors. Please note that the following text contains spoilers—I apologize for not including a warning in the previous review.

Opening Scene and Character Dynamics

The movie opens with a scene of Romy, played by Nicole Kidman, and her husband Jacob, portrayed by Antonio Banderas, having sex. Although Romy seems to be enjoying herself, it turns out she’s only pretending—what a shocker. She quickly flees the bed to satisfy herself in her study. She put on porn where a woman is being dominated, revealing a masochistic kink. Despite being married for 19 years, she has never shared these fantasies with her husband. Her desires remain confined to the realm of fantasy—until the mysterious intern enters her life.

I’m not really familiar with this type of character. Maybe it’s an American thing or just a movie trope, I’m not sure. I’m talking about that super-confident guy who walks into a room with a certain je ne sais quoi, effortlessly establishing his presence. In this case, Samuel, played by Harris Dickinson, is an intern fresh out of college, working part-time as a bartender. Yet, through some incident involving a dog, he somehow intuits that the CEO he’s interviewing with is into being dominated. Almost from day one, he starts making subtle innuendos, and things quickly escalate into a full-blown affair. The two of them explore their sexuality, engaging in various BDSM scenarios. They also get off on the thrill of possibly someone discovering them. Don’t get me wrong—I just find it unrealistic that a mere intern would be this confident. Unless he’s a narcissist or a psychopath. Maybe he is, though; mystery solved.

The Consequences of Desire

I’m not going to spoil the entire movie. The gist is that all good things must come to an end. They get caught because the naughty intern, in addition to his affair with the CEO, is also dating a mid-level manager named Esme. Esme, played by Sophie Wilde, who has her own agenda. He spills the beans to his ‘vanilla’ girlfriend, and naturally, the first thing the girl power mid-manager does—she had been advocating for more opportunities for women, as if that justifies everything—is to use this information to her advantage. She blackmails the CEO for a promotion and demands she leave her ‘boy toy’ alone. This way, she can become the kind of leader she’d be proud to follow, or some moralistic nonsense along those lines.

The whole situation was quite cruel. There is the implication that poor Romy experienced her first orgasm ever with Samuel. Even though she claims she doesn’t love him, she clearly feels a certain attachment. For example, she displays jealousy when she first learns about his involvement with Esme. After Esme confronts her, Romy confesses everything to her husband. As a Bob Dylan song says, ‘lotta water under the bridge, lotta other stuff too’ happen. In the end, Esme gets the promotion she wanted, Samuel lands a nice job in Japan, and the film concludes with Romy, still the CEO, fantasizing about Samuel while her husband tries to accommodate her fantasies during sex.

Final Thoughts on the Film

I think the film Babygirl was about exploring one’s sexuality and breaking free from conventional ideas of what is considered proper and acceptable. It also delves into the delicate balance between work and personal relationships in the workplace. So, it wasn’t quite like The Graduate—Mrs. Robinson was a housewife. It had more of a Disclosure vibe, sans the sexual harassment lawsuit, though that was a real concern for Romy throughout most of the movie. My takeaway message is to embrace your fantasies and absolve yourself of guilt when it involves two consenting adults. However, keep your hands off the interns if you can help it. It might be fun, but it doesn’t end well.

Powerful Performances: Kidman Shines in Babygirl

Nicole Kidman was sensational as Romy. Her initial reluctance to engage with Samuel, followed by the way she slowly let down her guard until fully giving in to the affair, was incredibly palpable. Her awkwardness when confronted with the realities of her fantasies came across convincingly. I should mention that the audience erupted in applause during one of the final scenes. In this scene, a colleague confronts Romy, not so subtly implying that he knows about the affair and suggesting that she sleep with him to keep her secret safe. Romy’s sharp response, “If I want to be humiliated, I’ll hire someone,” was met with a roar of approval from the audience. Though I don’t remember the exact wording, the message was clear: he held no real power over her, and she wasn’t intimidated.

Antonio Banderas was also excellent in his role as the husband. You could sense his genuine desire to connect with his wife and support her career. When he discovered the affair, he felt betrayed, but eventually, he chose to understand and work together with her to salvage their relationship. The scene where he confronts Samuel is particularly well-done.

Audience Reception

Overall, I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the film. It was engaging, challenging, and thought-provoking. I’ll admit I had never seen a film by Halina Reijn before, but after this, she’s definitely on my radar. The film Babygirl was also well-received. As far as I could see, no one left the room before it ended, which is noteworthy at a film festival where it’s common for at least a few people to leave early—like the 4 or 5 who walked out during Maria. The applause at the end was thunderous. P.S. It’s no wonder Nicole Kidman won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress for her performance in Babygirl.

You can read more of my film reviews of premieres from the 81st Venice Film Festival, including Maria,  The Room Next Door,  Joker: Folie à Deux, and Queer.