Babygirl is being praised for its compelling story, Nicole Kidman’s impeccable acting, and meticulous attention to detail – according to its director Halina Reason, it’s all thanks to the film’s intimacy coordinator.
The film, an erotic workplace thriller from A24, explores the unusual relationship between a CEO and an intern, the kind rarely seen in real life. A significant portion of the story, particularly its “climactic scenes”, was brought to life by the film’s intimacy coordinator Lizzie Talbot.
In a recent interview with IndieWire, halina rain Opening up about the importance of intimacy coordination, she said, “You may find more extreme sex scenes that feel far more risqué than they do at the time when you’re thinking, ‘No, the actresses themselves have this figured out. Let it be applied.'”
She further explained that this outdated way of portraying sexuality is something she strongly opposes, adding, “I’m really against it.”
The filmmaker also criticized those who dismiss the need for intimacy coordinators, saying, “I’m also against people who say, ‘No, my actors didn’t want intimacy coordinators.'”
Halina Reason said that the presence of an intimacy coordinator is essential for the safety of everyone on the set, including the director. He also noted that, in the event of a “misunderstanding”, “it’s amazing to have a person like that on set.”
Her comments come after an interview with Anora actress Mickey Madison, where she revealed that she and co-star Mark Edelstein decided not to use an intimacy coordinator.
Rijn also stressed that it is the director’s responsibility to approach the work in a creative way, saying that sometimes one has to go through a little discomfort to “discover a whole new world of creativity and possibilities”.
Babygirl stars Nicole Kidman and Triangle of Sadness actor Harris Dickinson. In the feature, the Eyes Wide Shut actress plays Romy, a high-powered CEO who begins an affair with a young intern, played by Dickinson.
Also read: Babygirl director Halina Reason says this ‘erotic’ Nicole Kidman scene from the movie happened to her in real life.
