Babygirl

I was really intrigued by the movie Babygirl because Nicole Kidman won the Volpi Cup at this year's Venice Film Festival for her performance so I went back to the Broadway (for the third night in a row) to see it last night with my nephew.  I didn't like it as much as I thought I would but Sean did.  Romy Mathis (Kidman) is a high-power CEO of her own company in a male-dominated industry and, while she loves her husband Jacob (Antonio Banderas), she is sexually frustrated.  A young intern at her company named Samuel (Harris Dickinson) behaves inappropriately with her but she finds it titillating so she eventually begins a passionate affair with him.  She initially feels conflicted because she is so much older than he is and she is in a position of power over him but he turns the tables and forces her into a submissive role which brings her satisfaction.  However, it is only when she is on the brink of losing everything, both personally and professionally, that she is able to assert control over her life.  Kidman gives a brilliant and absolutely fearless performance full of vulnerability but I was especially impressed with Dickinson because he subverts the stereotype of a dominant sexual partner, particularly a scene in a car where Samuel has a meltdown and has to be comforted by Romy.  My biggest issue with this movie is that it never really feels dangerous and the resolution is a bit too easy.  Also, for a movie that is billed as an erotic thriller it is pretty tame (the steamiest scene involves drinking milk).  I did love the INXS and George Michael needle drops but this was just okay for me.