Wong Kar Wai, the director Nicole Kidman compared to a god: “As far as I’m concerned”
You can typically tell a lot about an actor from who they choose to work with. There are certain stars who return to the same filmmakers time and time again, while there are also those who balance working with both indie and blockbuster directors. Nicole Kidman is a huge fan of collaborating with filmmakers who aren’t afraid to push boundaries, although she has appeared in her fair share of commercially accessible movies, too, allowing herself the chance to explore various cinematic avenues.
Kidman has been praised for her active decision to work with as many female filmmakers as she can, using her position as one of the most successful actors of her generation to spotlight women in the industry. Talking to Time about the disparity between male and female directors in Hollywood, the actor once said, “It can be changed, but it can only be changed by actually being in the films of women.”
The actor is clearly passionate about who she chooses to work with, and she is often drawn to complex roles with a feminist undertone. She has played women dealing with grief, sexual desires, abuse, and mental health issues, imbuing each performance with deep understanding. As a result of her interest in playing complex roles, she has often ended up working with filmmakers, both male and female, who are more artful, like Jane Campion, Stanley Kubrick, Jonathan Glazer, Halina Reijn, and Lars Von Trier.
Evidently, whether Kidman is working with a male or female filmmaker, she likes to be in the company of someone who isn’t scared to be controversial and who will give her a complex female character to work with. With roles in projects like Birth, The Beguiled, Dogville, Big Little Lies, and Babygirl, Kidman has proved that she can effortlessly bring life to characters struggling with their inner worlds, appreciating delicately crafted protagonists.
The actor has a list of directors she would love to work with, and it reflects her interest in multi-faceted characters, telling The Independent, “I like François Ozon, but Wong Kar Wai is basically god as far as I’m concerned. I just adore him.” It seems as though the Hong Kong filmmaker is at the top of her list – even though he hasn’t made a film since 2013’s The Grandmaster. However, he is best known for helming In the Mood For Love, a gorgeous romantic drama about a man and a woman who discover that their spouses are having an affair, leading to a unique connection between the two.
He has also made the acclaimed films Chungking Express, Fallen Angels, and Happy Together, beautifully exploring themes of human connection, loneliness, longing, and nostalgia. The filmmaker has the ability to craft such distinctive worlds that could only belong to him, embodying a sense of alienation that is both haunting and transcendent.
Kidman continued to explain her love for him in the 2003 interview, stating, “We met recently and talked over some ideas. That’s his whole thing – he just works on ideas. Someone asked me if I thought it was a risk, but I see it more as a blessing. The formulaic movies are a risk because you know you’ve got to get through them without being corrupted.”
Sadly, we’ve yet to receive a Kidman and Wong crossover, but perhaps he’ll make another English-language movie in the future (his first was 2007’s My Blueberry Nights), which could involve the Australian actor.
