Nicole Kidman in "Destroyer". Is De-Glam Back?
Tuesday, August 21, 2018 at 3:31PM by Nathaniel R
We've seen set photos but this is the first official image from Annapurna of Nicole Kidman in Destroyer, her LAPD drama and suspected second Oscar bid. She plays Erin Bell, a woman haunted by her past when she was undercover with a criminal gang...
Nicole is reportedly in every single scene (YAS) despite richly talented co-stars like Tatiana Maslany, Sebastian Stan, and Bradley Whitford. Director Karyn Kusama wanted her to be a woman who "wears her ugliness on the outside."
Nicole filming a scene
Sebastian Stan on set
The film is due in theaters for Christmas, because everyone loves a traumatic character study for the holidays! We love Nicole Kidman (as you well know) but we hope this doesn't mean that De-Glam is back as an Oscar tactic. We lived through far too many years of actresses downplaying their innate glamour and unreal beauty as a gimmick to win "SHE TRANSFORMS!" praise. We've been spared it for awhile but it's always lurking, ready to attack Oscar ballots again. The tactic goes way way back to gorgeous Olivia de Havilland as the 'plain' spinster of The Heiress (1949) and Grace Kelly as a regular housewife WITH GLASSES (*screams in terror*) in The Country Girl (1954). We've been spared it for awhile but its last truly successful blaze of glory was the one-two-three punch of Kidman-Theron-Swank (02-04) all with either makeup prosthetics to make them less attractive or damaged in some way or no makeup at all or whatnot. Deglam is always out there lurking, ready to strike Best Actress Oscar shortlists whenever you let your glamour-loving guard down.
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Reader Comments (29)
Ya know, the first time I saw pics of her in this I thought Nic was Theron
I don't know why, tho.
ANTYWAYS, can't wait for this.
It's the December release that puts me off predicting her,she has become more beloved than she was say 10 yrs ago but that release date does not bode well but am always glad to see her in a lead role.
She looks like crap!
I remember her SAG speech, she said she had trouble coming out of this performance. I’m expecting great things.
I definitely share your frustrations with “deglamming” as a trend/tactic to win awards, but I also enjoy seeing actors transform, whether it be through the use of makeup or simple changes in physicality or speech - it’s all great when done right. It’s nice to see that Nicole is refusing to settle into supportive mom/wife roles and is still seeking challenging work with interesting directors. I’m ready!
Barbara Harris died.Watch the closing moments of The Seduction of Joe Tynan in her honour.
She looks like Tig Notaro in zombie makeup.
Eh, I really doubt this is an Oscar play, given that summary and Annapurna taking it wide (wut? lol) on Christmas. But Nicole stans can keep dreaming and get their hopes dashed every other year, it seems. ;)
Looking forward to this, particularly as (hopefully) a long-coming breakout for a female director of color, Karyn Kusama. That woman has been doing interesting work for decades, so it’s about time.
Also, “a traumatic character study for the holidays” sounds like Christmas with my family every December.
I never really thought of Nicole as Virginia Woolf as "de-glam" -- more akin to Steve Carell in Foxcatcher or whatever -- transformation for its own sake
Looks intriguing (way moreso than that Joel Edgerton film). Sebastian Stan is "de-glamming" here as well - I wouldn't even recognize him.
Whoa, Nic looks badass!
I can see why deglam appeals to certain actresses who are known for their glamorous image. It must be a release and relief to remove that restrictive layer and experiment and explore. If you look the part, it helps in acting the part.
I do think we've gained perspective on this. In the 50s Oscar voters lost their shit because Grace Kelly didn't wear lipstick. That was a decoy.
Anything for Oscar
Has any actress donned more unflattering wigs as Nicole? (I'm thinking Stepford, Family Fang, Lion) She looks like Lisa Rinna if she were a crack addict.
But given how she has mentioned how deeply the character is affecting her maybe we're in for something impressive.
She looks like Keith Urban in the 2nd photo.
Now she steals Close's thunder and wins her second Oscar
Honestly, I'd say A24 will be banking on Elsie Fisher more than Collette or Thompson. If they push for Fisher, they almost certainly get a BP nod. If they fight for Collette or, especially, Thompson, they just get an actress nod, even if the latter are easier fights on paper to get an actress nod.
My guess:
1. Glenn Close, The Wife
2. Viola Davis, Widows
3. Kiki Layne, If Beale Street Could Talk
4. Lady Gaga, A Star is Born
5. Elsie Fisher, Eighth Grade
6. Carey Mulligan, Wildlife
7. Toni Collette, Hereditary
8. Emily Blunt, Mary Poppins Returns
9. Nicole Kidman, Destroyer (Non-biographical de-glam directed by Karyn Kusama. Not impossible (because Kidman), but highly likely they don't give this the time of day.)
10. Emma Stone, The Favourite
I stopped getting Nicole after The Hours until Big Little Lies. This is not winning any awards is my guess. Her work is too frequent and random. Ann Glenn Close? Oh my sides. It's best actress. I am rooting for Emily Blunt.
Bottom lip still a bit puffy artificially, but not overly distracting in this deglam role. You’ve come along way from caterpillar lips and immovable forehead days Nic. So proud.
Now she steals Close's thunder and wins her second Oscar
Boy bye. Kidman's 2nd is in supporting.
Whether this is getting nominations or not, I love that Nicole is putting out a lot of varied and interesting work. Glam for BLL, deglam for this. Just keep working.
Nathaniel - Have you heard anything about Mary Queen of Scots that you have Ronan so low?
cal Roth: I love absurdist unrealistic humour! ;)
Sight unseen predictions for Emily Blunt, Meryl Streep and even Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins, so why not Angela Lansbury, even if just for the fun of it!
Joe, please, let's have a break from Meryl with Oscar. Sigh.
Kidman is hit or miss with me, but I'm really excited to see Kusama's next movie after loving "The Invitation" and it's cool that Kidman is working with her.
This is shaping up to be another great year for the Best Actress category. I get the impression that Olivia Colman is the true lead in The Favourite (among my most anticipated this year) and that Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz are really supporting. I could absolutely see Fox Searchlight demoting Colman, who's less familiar with Oscar voters, in favor of Stone. Weisz, meanwhile, can never seem to catch a break. Her best work since winning an Oscar was either in tiny indies (Brothers Bloom, The Deep Blue Sea, Disobedience) that never get traction or lost in otherwise mediocre films (The Light Between Oceans) or both (Complete Unknown). Harumph.
I'm cautiously optimistic about Destroyer. Kusama last film, The Invitation, was a Swiss watch of an ensemble thriller and the role seems like something of a stretch for Kidman. The release date, however, raises the likelihood that this gets lost in the shuffle.
W.J. -- i get the feeling from the trailer that all three are leads. in a story about their triangular relationship.
Steve -- it's just that there have been so many movies about it and this might not be bringing anything new to the table since they're using some of the same visual artists at Elizabeth: The Golden Age. also: one of the big films will be failed Oscar bait. At least one always is.