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WOMAN ON TOP ''I didn't recognize myself,'' says Kidman, with McGregor, or her exotic costumes

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Moulin Rouge (Movie - 2001)

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Like the rest of us, Luhrmann first learned about the Kidman/ Cruise separation in February while he was supervising ''Moulin Rouge'''s complex postproduction. Unlike us, of course, he got the news from Kidman personally. ''I can speak absolutely honestly: This was a total surprise,'' says Luhrmann. ''It was not something we were aware of.''

Kidman claims she wasn't aware of it either. In her court papers, Kidman states Cruise left her without explanation, and that despite speculation to the contrary, she was indeed carrying his child when she miscarried earlier this year. She's seeking joint legal custody of their two children, Isabella, 8, and Connor, 6. Significantly, she's hired tenacious L.A. lawyer Stanton L. Stein to represent her. Stein is best known for handling profit participation lawsuits (including David Duchovny's 1999 action against Fox over ''The X-Files''), not divorce cases. Her unusual choice of attorney suggests the legal proceedings will look more like corporate warfare than a marital breakup.

There's also been talk of romance between Kidman and McGregor (who's also married) during filming, which both actors adamantly deny. ''People ask if anything happened between them,'' says Luhrmann, raising the issue himself. ''I say only in terms of the natural romance that comes from doing the scenes. And it was very romantic to do those scenes.''

''We just got on,'' says McGregor simply. ''We were singing to each other from the moment we met. There's something beautiful about that.''

Asked to comment on rumors surrounding the breakup, Kidman declines. ''One day. Probably. But now's not the time,'' she says. ''Part of me is like, 'I want to!' But I have to sit here and take the high road.'' Still, she says it's okay to ask: ''I understand there's interest. If I was on the outside of this, even I'd go, What the hell happened here? I'm good at seeing both sides of the fence.''

Read EW's May 25, 2001, cover story to get more on Nicole Kidman and the filming of ''Moulin Rouge.''