Kidman tucks into carbs in her quest for a big fat hit

Once, she was described as "pure theatrical Viagra". Now, Nicole Kidman is more of a cold shower. Since her last big success, Cold Mountain in 2003, she has had an itchy nose in Bewitched, a hairy boyfriend in Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus, and an alien virus in The Invasion. The only thing she hasn't had is a hit.

US critics, at a screening in August, described The Invasion as "pedestrian, predictable and riven with continuity errors" (Empire). Its UK screening was mysteriously cancelled. The Golden Compass, which will be released in December, is "plain bad" (The New York Post).

Once upon a time, as they say in the movies, Nicole was box office magic. She sizzled in Eyes Wide Shut, sang up a storm in Moulin Rouge, scared the bejesus out of audiences in The Others and almost won an Oscar for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf in The Hours. However, of her eight films since her Cold Mountain ascent, the only success was Happy Feet – she was the voice of a mummy penguin.

Kidman is gaining weight to film The Reader. A friend said a usual lunch is "a big plate of pasta, with bread, and then a dessert". She is also working on a remake of the Marilyn Monroe classic, How To Marry A Millionaire. At this rate, she's going to have to.