Nicole Kidman premiered her latest film, “Babygirl,” at the Venice Film Festival, and the veteran actor is pushing herself far out of her comfort zone. In the erotic thriller, Kidman plays Romy, a high-powered New York CEO who embarks on a torrid affair with a new company intern.
“It’s told by a woman through her gaze… that’s to me what made it so unique,” Kidman said about working with director Halina Reijn. “Suddenly I was going to be in the hands of a woman with this material, and it was very, very deep to be able to share those things and very freeing.”
Kidman acknowledged that the film leaves her feeling “exposed and vulnerable and frightened” but praised the experience of making it with Reijn and the cast. “I want to examine human beings, I want to examine women onscreen, I want to examine what it means to be human and in all facets of that and the labyrinth of that,” Kidman said.
The film has received positive reviews, with Variety calling Kidman “fearless” and IndieWire describing it as a “sexy, darkly funny, and bold piece of work.” Kidman’s commitment to promoting female directors and exploring themes of self-identity and sexuality shines through in her latest project.
“I will just completely abandon (myself) to the story, to the nature of the character I’m playing, so I don’t think about bodies per se, I just think about how do we tell the story,” Kidman said. Ultimately, Reijn hopes the film will function as a tribute to self-love and liberation.
