Movie Review: Babygirl

As a seasoned cinephile with decades of movie-watching under my belt, I find myself perplexed by the recent choices made by two revered actresses, Amy Adams and Nicole Kidman, in the films “Nightbitch” and “Babygirl” respectively. Having witnessed their impressive careers unfold over the years, it’s challenging to fathom why they would willingly subject themselves to roles that appear to degrade or humiliate them.

It’s puzzling as to why two highly esteemed actresses with impressive resumes, such as Amy Adams in “Nightbitch” and Nicole Kidman in “Babygirl”, both having decades of experience in the industry, would choose roles that required them to demean themselves. Given their wealth and accolades – with Kidman being an Oscar winner and having 5 nominations, and Adams having 6 nominations – it’s unexpected that they would take on projects perceived as degrading. Considering their significant influence in Hollywood, where they have the freedom to select or decline any project, it remains a mystery why either of them would opt for these particular roles.

The story of Babygirl is of an older woman in her late 50s, who is the CEO of a major manufacturing company and is only sexually satisfied by being humiliated. This humiliation includes being ordered around and even being told to drink milk from a plate like a house cat, reminding me of the scene where Amy Adams ate raw meat like a dog in a cafeteria in front of many onlookers. What is going on during some of the recent last movies to be released at the end of 2024? At a certain age, Adams is 50 and Kidman is 57, there has to come a time when an actor realizes, as they said many times during the four “Legal Weapon” movies, “I am too old for this sh**”.

I had trouble getting through much of the film “Babygirl,” often finding myself empathetic towards Nicole Kidman’s character. The plot is sparse, primarily focusing on intense and masochistic sexual liaisons between her character, Romy, and her company intern Samuel (Harris Dickinson). Additionally, there’s a subplot involving tension between Samuel and Romy’s husband Jacob (Antonio Banderas), when he discovers her infidelity – a familiar trope in many stories.

As a cinephile, I found myself slightly at odds with the majority of critics when it comes to Babygirl. While the movie has garnered an impressive 78% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, my personal assessment puts it at a more modest 60%. If you’re planning to catch this film based on the buzz, I would suggest giving it a pass. The consensus review on IMDB mirrors my sentiments.

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2024-12-25 23:49