Dir: Halina Rejin | Cast: Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Antonio Banderas | Drama 2024
A torrid affair between a boss and her younger employee is at this heart of this solid physiological drama starring Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson.
Dutch director Halina Reijn pictures a startling scenario when sexual politics spill over from the workplace and into the private life of a high-flying robotics CEO. Kidman is once again flexing her muscles in a meaty role where power-play is reversed. We’ve seen this happen many times on the big screen, most recently in Last Summer with Lea Drucker and before that with Trine Dyrholm in May el-Toukhy’s Queen of Hearts.
It all starts with a crack in the facade of her marriage to theatre director husband Jacob (Antonio Banderas). The two of them appear to happy together and enjoying a robust time in bed (in the film’s opening scene), but Romy (Kidman) is clearly tired of vanilla sex and sparks fly when she catches the eye of young temp Samuel (Dickinson). It does seem odd that such an assertive female such as Romy is unable to explain her desires to her affable husband Jacob. But apparently not. But maybe she is driven to seek out a challenge, or take a risk, all motives that explain her behaviour. She finds herself drawn to a cocky young intern whose confidence and sense of entitlement sees him rocking his professional relationship with his boss. Alarm bells ring and soon enough the two of them are tussling in psychological warfare, and the stakes are high. But Romy has far more to lose than the young whippersnapper.
The twists and turns are awkward and well-observed exposing Romy’s complex inner yearnings. A control freak she finds herself suddenly out of control as the sexual temperature soars. This is a highly intelligent film which explores the professional woman’s backstory: a rocky road that started in a dysfunctional upbringing. You might find yourself squirming as these doomed lovers lurch from being confident to downright confounded, with Romy rushing around desperately trying to keep up her grooming routine while holding down high level meetings. Rejin certainly understands the subtleties of the female mind and Kidman is alarming in her lack of vanity and ego in this latest role. @MeredithTaylor
IN CINEMAS 10 JANUARY 2025