With her latest role in Babygirl, Nicole Kidman ventured into treacherous waters which remarkably incorporated the conventional structures of a romantic comedy into disturbing shades of kink. While Babygirl is Alice Wainwright’s light attempt at being too brazen it struggles as a film trying to balance quirk with the dominance as a sexual theme which has not done well commercially, giving people a very commercialized take on S&M.
Babygirl centers around Samantha (Kidman) who is a high powered business woman with a busy life – with a high paying career, superb social life and exquisite clothes. However, this is not enough for her; deep inside, she yearns for something thrilling, something impulsive. In comes Max (Ryan Gosling), a fun loving, creative person who brings Samantha into the world of BDSM. What could have merely been an issue of experimentation starts in the most comical and unabashed romance but there is a surprise, their relationship is governed by other unseen boundaries.
Nicole Kidman unfailingly befriends her character Samantha by bringing on board her usual elegance with a tint of sadness, humor, and quite a bit of sass. She obviously enjoys the development of the character from a stilted career woman into a bold and carefree lady who welcomes her every fantasy. There are interesting contrasts too, not all their characters were hard to get to know as with Ryan Gosling and Max. The film, on the other hand, plays it towards humor and romance instead, stereotyping some aspects of kink culture that was depicted in the well-advertised Fifty Shades of Grey films but probably for the better.
The pictures sparkle, and the decorative elements of the film such as Samantha’s ostentatious penthouse with a circular bed and Max’s loft follow up the architect as a domineering sex symbol complement the glamor. Babygirl seems to get all the right attention for all the right reasons for the subject matter, but seriously while getting all the attention feels like assisting a rom-com with enhanced neck flashy silhouettes and little hints of Kink.
There might be people who would reprimand the film for its rather ambitious and careless manner of relating the story, but in this instance, the way Babygirl is presented is entertaining, aesthetically pleasing, lightheaded comedy with a new twist, which is backed up by satisfactory showings and star stature.
