Babygirl

It's the most anticipated film of this first part of the 81st Venice International Film Festival. And after the first viewing you immediately understand why. It pushes the boundaries of sensuality, sex, sound, ambition, morality and feminism. All this is possible thanks to a captivating Nicole Kidman, an intimate script and direction by Halina Reijn and a production by A24, which as always never disappoints.

Business executive "Romy" (Nicole Kidman) is initially impressed with the dog-handling skills of "Samuel" (Harris Dickinson) but when she discovers that he is to be an intern in her e-packaging company something else starts to draw her to the man. We already know that though happily enough married to "Jacob" (Antonio Banderas) she's not exactly fulfilled in the bedroom department, and "Samuel" seems to sense that it's an area that maybe he can help with. Were not just talking sex, here - oh. no. This is about a lady with fantasy of being dominated. About her surrendering control completely, and if you're going to do that at all, then why not this tall, handsome and mischievous bit of rough? Of course, like any addiction - it starts to get out of control as the relationship dynamic changes quite profoundly and others start to put two and two together. At times this is quite funny, and milk seems to play a central role from time to time, but as a cinematic version of something akin to tantric, it doesn't really work. Neither of these actors are afraid to get naked yet neither do, simultaneously, here. Indeed I'm sure I saw his black Calvin's shining from under the sheet when the intimacy consultant was at their busiest. I didn't need nudity to augment their unique sort of passion, but I did expect something way more natural, visceral even, and I didn't get it. It's filmed in such a disjointed and bitty fashion, there's no attempt to characterise or contextualise either of these people and in the end I felt like this was little better than a titillation for it's stars that didn't really aspire to engage those watching any more than age-related porn might. Dickinson isn't remotely charismatic and the premiss falls flat quickly, especially when the quite aggravating intervention of "Esme" (Sophie Wilde) rather summed the shallowness of the whole thing up. "Eyes Wide Shut" (1999) or "Beach Rats" (2017) showcase both their talents amidst a sexually charged environment far better: this is all forgettable, over-hyped, stuff.