Nicole Kidman returns to Venice Film Festival with erotic drama ‘Babygirl’
Nicole Kidman attends a red carpet screening for “Babygirl” during the 81st Venice International Film Festival on August 30, 2024 in Venice, Italy. Photo credit: Getty Images
BabygirlAn erotic thriller about a female CEO who begins an affair with a younger, male intern, is, of course, about sex. But that’s only part of the story.
It’s also about desire, privacy, marriage, truth, power and consent, star Nicole Kidman said at the Venice Film Festival on Friday. And it’s bound to inspire conversation for months.
From filmmaker Halina Raine, baby girl, It has its world premiere on Friday evening at the Lido, where it is playing in competition before A24 releases in theaters in December.
Kidman stars Antonio Banderas as the husband and Harris Dickinson as the intern. Both his personal life and career are jeopardized by this wave of relationships.
“I hope it’s a very redemptive story,” Kidman said. “It was said by a woman in her eyes … that’s what made it so unique to me.” Arriving at the festival by water taxi, Kidman posed for photographers on the dock in the blazing sun before heading to a press conference. She wore a black Bottega Veneta midi dress with short sleeves and a deep V-neck.
Kidman came to Venice 25 years ago with another risky film: Stanley Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut.” But even with a resume full of boundary-pushing, sexy and challenging work, she still has some concerns about it. He said in the press conference that he is nervous.
“I hope my hands aren’t shaking,” Kidman said.
He said that as an actor he has always been interested in examining people – especially women – on screen and exploring questions about what it means to be human and “the maze of it”.
“It definitely leaves me exposed and scared and vulnerable when it’s put out to the world,” she said.
Reijn, who previously made youthful, anarchic slashers Body body bodiesWas excited to explore the concept of female desire, but also about a woman in an existential crisis. With that in mind, she said it’s important for the husband, who doesn’t satisfy Kidman’s character, to be both handsome and masculine. He says that’s why he wanted Banderas.
“It’s a cautionary tale about what happens when you suppress your own will,” Reason said.
The director was inspired to create Babygirl Like Paul Verhoeven and Adrian Lynn for his love of erotic thrillers of the 1980s and 90s, but unlike some of these stories, he doesn’t want to “punish” the woman.
“I don’t want any of my characters to be punished,” Reason said. “I just want to be them.”
Kidman and Dickinson got to know each other before filming through rehearsals in New York, knowing that the shoot would be fast. They also used an intimacy coordinator to help guide them through the Steemit scene.
“Babygirl” also looks at generational differences when it comes to topics like sexuality and intimacy, juxtaposing Kidman and Banderas with Dickinson and actor Sophie Wilde.
“It was just the four of us on a journey together and it was really, really intimate,” Kidman said. “A lot of care was taken by all of us, we were all very gentle with each other and helped each other.”
Dickinson liked the specificity with which the story and script addressed “the confusion in a young man now”. “A confusion about how to behave and how to conduct yourself sexually,” says Dickinson. “Halina was always ready to dissect and challenge this and challenge the narrowness of behavior. It opened up a whole new world of movies. On the red carpet before the premiere, Antonio Banderas signed autographs for fans, while Nicole Kidman stopped to talk to a man in a hospital bed. In the theater, the crowd gave him a standing ovation as the lights went down.
Babygirl In addition to its favourites, it is also competing for the festival’s top prize maria and yet-to-premiere The Room Next Door, Queer And Joker: Folie à Deux. Winners will be announced on September 7.
