Babette French Baby

This French/German porn movie demonstrates what can happen if the filmmakers are serious about their craft but correctly frivolous as to the "importance" of a project. It's a fun combination of hard X sex, a clever sense of comedy and plenty of twisty action/espionage, for an unsung entertainment package.

Currently available for free on the internet, it's likely to eventually build a cult following 30 years after release. I was surprised to find such quality from a pair of prolific directors who often collaborated on porn quickies: Nils Molitor (German) and Alain Payet (French), latter who made many fine movies earlier in his career.

Talented cast is headed by blonde Babette, in a story set at a hotel where an incredible amount of sex occurs. Running gag is extremely well done, as the hotel receptionist played by Gena gives nearly every male customer a blow-job, almost as regular as a bellhop putting out his hand for tip upon escorting a traveler to their room, and the directors present these oral sex scenes fully in less than a minute each.

A MacGuffin of a stolen suitcase passing from character to character (including Babette) helps knit scenes together, and still-active French actor turned director Philippe Soine is in a major role opposite Babette.

What makes it work is the light touch which very successfully prevents the show from devolving into just another of the thousands of all-sex, instantly disposable gonzo features cranked out since the homevideo era of porn began.