Director Rino Di Silvestro's "Baby Love" is a bizarre, bonkers trek through the seedy underbelly of erotic cinema, offering up a smorgasbord of sleaze that will leave you feeling like you need a long shower. This 1979 Italian sex comedy is an absurd, often ridiculous affair, with a premise that is equal parts ludicrous and disturbing.
The film centers on Baby Love (played by Violette Lafont), the stepdaughter of the Queen of Balsorano Castle. The queen, played by Paola Maiolini, intends to sell Baby Love to the highest bidder, auctioning off her virginal stepdaughter to a group of four eccentric and horny men: an American, a Chinese, a Russian, and a Sicilian. What ensues is a rapid-fire, farcical series of events as the men lustfully pursue Baby Love, each attempting to purchase their desired parts of her body.
The dialogue is trashy, the humor is absurd, and the sexual content is abundant. From masturbation and lesbian encounters to orgies and whipping, no stone is left unturned in this raunchy romp. The characters are caricatures, with the four bidders portrayed as idiotic, lust-driven fools, adding to the overall farcical tone of the film.
Despite its trashy nature, "Baby Love" has a certain so-bad-it's-good charm. The rapid-fire dialogue, though often crude, is delivered with a sense of comedic timing that lands more often than it should. The film also veers into the surreal and fantastical, with over-the-top scenes that border on absurdist theater. It's a wild ride that, while not for the faint of heart (or easily offended), offers a glimpse into the wild world of 1970s Italian erotic cinema.
That being said, "Baby Love" is a challenging film to recommend. While it has its moments of dark humor and absurdist charm, the premise is deeply disturbing, and the constant objectification of the female form is off-putting, to say the least. It's a film that revels in its sleaziness, and while that may appeal to a certain subset of viewers, it's difficult to overlook the more unsavory aspects of the story.
In conclusion, "Baby Love" is a trashy, titillating trek through the seedy underbelly of erotic cinema. It's a film that pushes the boundaries of taste, veering from ridiculous to raunchy and back again. While it has its moments of dark humor, the overall experience is likely to leave viewers feeling like they need a good scrub down. Approach with caution and a healthy dose of skepticism.
