VENICE, Italy (AP) 鈥� 鈥淏abygirl,鈥� an erotic thriller about a female CEO who begins an affair with a younger, male intern, is about sex, certainly. But that鈥檚 just part of the story.
It鈥檚 also about desire, secrets, marriage, truth, power and consent, star Nicole Kidman said Friday at the . And it's bound to inspire conversations for months to come.
From filmmaker Halina Reijn, 鈥淏abygirl鈥� is having its world premiere Friday evening on the Lido, where it鈥檚 playing in competition before A24 releases it in theaters in December.
Antonio Banderas plays the husband of Kidman鈥檚 character and Harris Dickinson is the intern. Both her personal life and career are jeopardized through the ripples of the affair.
鈥淚 hope it's a very liberating story,鈥� Kidman said. 鈥淚t was told by a woman through her gaze 鈥� that鈥檚 what to me what made it so unique.鈥�
Arriving at the festival by water taxi, Kidman posed for photographers on the dock in the blazing sun before making her way to a news 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 risqu茅 film: Stanley Kubrick's 鈥淓yes Wide Shut.鈥� But even with a resume full of boundary-pushing, sexy and challenging work, she still has some anxiety about this one. During a news conference, she said she was nervous.
鈥淚 hope my hands aren鈥檛 shaking,鈥� Kidman said.
She said that as an actor she鈥檚 always interested in examining human beings 鈥� especially women 鈥� on screen and exploring questions about what it means to be human and the 鈥渓abyrinth of that.鈥�
鈥淭his definitely leaves me exposed and frightened and vulnerable when it鈥檚 given to the world,鈥� she said.
Reijn, who previously made the youthful, anarchic slasher 鈥� ,鈥� was excited to explore the idea of female desire, but also about a woman in an existential crisis. With that in mind, she said it was important for the husband, who does not satisfy Kidman鈥檚 character, to be both handsome and masculine. This, she said, is why she wanted Banderas.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a cautionary tale about what happens when you suppress your own desires,鈥� Reijn said.
The director was inspired to make 鈥淏abygirl鈥� out of a love for the erotic thrillers of the 1980s and 90s from the likes of Paul Verhoeven and Adrian Lyne, but unlike in some of those stories, she didn鈥檛 want to 鈥減unish鈥� the woman.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want any of my characters to be punished,鈥� Reijn said. 鈥淚 just want them to be.鈥�
Kidman and Dickinson got to know one another prior to filming through rehearsals in New York, knowing that the shoot would be quick. They also utilized an intimacy coordinator to help guide them through the steamier scenes.
鈥淏abygirl鈥� also looks at generational differences when it comes to topics like sex and intimacy, juxtaposing Kidman and Banderas with Dickinson and actor Sophie Wilde.
鈥淚t was four of us together on a journey and it was really, really intimate,鈥� Kidman said. 鈥淓normous care taken by all of us, we were all very gentle with each other and helped each other.鈥�
Dickinson liked the specificity in which the story and script addressed the 鈥渃onfusion within a young man of now.鈥�
鈥淎 confusion about how to conduct yourself and how to conduct yourself in sex,鈥� Dickinson said. 鈥淗alina was always ready to dissect and challenge that and challenge the nuance of the behavior. That opened up a whole new world of the film.鈥�
On the red carpet before the premiere, Antonio Banderas signed autographs for fans, while Nicole Kidman stopped to talk to a man on a hospital bed. In the theater, the crowd gave her as standing ovation as the lights went down.
鈥淏abygirl" is competing for the festival's top prizes alongside the and the yet-to-premiere 鈥淭he Room Next Door,鈥� 鈥淨ueer鈥� and 鈥淛oker: Folie 脿 Deux.鈥� Winners will be announced on Sept. 7.
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For more coverage of the 2024 Venice Film Festival, visit .
Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
