The actress Nicole Kidman 57, takes his erotic drama “Babygirl ” for the Venice Film Festival this Friday (30). The actress said she felt exposed and nervous when the controlled intimacy of the film set was projected on the big screen in front of a global audience.
Kidman has made a number of bold films throughout her career, including Stanley Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut,” which premiered in Venice 25 years ago. But she said she was anxious about the reaction to the new film.
Kidman plays Romy, a successful New York CEO who jeopardizes her career and family by having a torrid affair with a young, opportunistic intern. “Making the film with these people here was delicate and intimate and very, very profound,” said Kidman, sitting next to the director, Halina Reijn, and co-stars Antonio Banderas, who plays her husband, and Harris Dickinson, her lover.
“But it definitely leaves me exposed, vulnerable and scared (…) when [o filme] is presented to the world,” he added.
“We’re all a little nervous, so I was like, I hope my hands aren’t shaking,” he continued.
Filmed by a woman, “Babygirl” brings a woman’s perspective to the erotic thriller genre by exploring Romy’s darkest fantasies, which she is unable to fulfill within the confines of her seemingly successful marriage. “I’m very happy to be able to make a film about female desire, but it’s also a film about a woman in existential crisis, and it has many layers,” said Reijn, who also directed 2022’s “Death Death Death.”
“Babygirl” reveals profound differences in the way younger and older generations view sex in a city where political correctness reigns.
“I think in general there’s a confusion about how to … behave in sex as well,” Dickinson said, praising the work of an intimacy coordinator who helped the actors push their natural boundaries. “It’s always stressful to build a scene anyway, so you add something intimate to it and it makes you very vulnerable.”
Setting the tone for the film, “Babygirl” opens with a close-up of Kidman as she fails to orgasm with her husband, beginning her search for satisfaction elsewhere. “The huge orgasm gap … still exists, guys. Take note, men,” Reijn said with a laugh, adding that he hopes his film “works as a tribute to self-love and liberation.”
Kidman, who won a best actress Oscar for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf in 2002’s “The Hours,” has worked with many of the top male directors of her generation, but said a few years ago she decided to promote female filmmakers like Reijn.
“I will support a lot of women now, in terms of directors, to try to change the ratio,” she said.
Six of the 21 films of the main competition in Venice were directed by women, including “Babygirl “. Last year, five of the 23 films of the competition had female directors.
Venice Film Festival 2024: see the Brazilian titles and artists
This content was originally published in Venice Film Festival: Nicole Kidman feels “exposed” with new erotic thriller on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m Robert Neff, a professional writer and editor. I specialize in the entertainment section, providing up-to-date coverage on the latest developments in film, television and music. My work has been featured on World Stock Market and other prominent publications.
