Wow what a film.  While the first act didn’t grab me fully, the final two thirds are so damn good that it elevated the entire thing.  Nicole Kidman (in an Oscar-worthy performance) plays a powerful business entity whose marriage to theater director Antonio Banderas (who has one scene in particular that is at least worthy of a Best Supporting nomination) is cosy and comfortable but lacks passion for her.  When new intern Harris Dickinson (who deserves to be a star after this level of work — he was critically recognized for his role in The Iron Claw but he was lost amidst the praise for co-stars Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White) comes onto the scene, sparks start to fly.  He recognizes her desire to be dominated and he begins a game with her that threatens to upset her entire carefully arranged family life.  
        The sexual chemistry between Kidman and Dickinson is off the charts, which it would have to be for a film like this to be effective, and the writing and directing by Halina Reijn are absolutely outstanding.  Sophie Wilde also does great work as Kidman’s assistant, who is trying to work her way up the corporate ladder while also championing a proposal for female empowerment in the business world.  Her character’s arc was a nice subplot that took the spotlight off the affair for a moment.  The ending leads to an unorthodox conclusion that really makes you think about intimacy and honesty, and how sexual repression can lead one to harbor resentment, and when one is faced with the object of their desire they can lose themselves completely, and even possibly be presented with a second chance with the one they’ve hurt after all the chaos subsides.  
          A poetic yet raw narrative made with precision, and a bold exploration of sexual freedom within the framework of societal convention.