Sexy Baby
Directed by Ronna Gradus and Jill Bauer
The Relationship Doctrine of Don Blanquito
Directed by Roger Nygard
Don Blanquito and Sexy Baby are teamed together this year at Hot Docs because of the subject matter of both docs – sex. Although the oversexed antics of Don Blanquito and the serious exploration of the subject in Sexy Baby could not be further apart.
Don Blanquito is a Los Angeles born rapper who upon visiting Rio De Janeiro fell in love with the Brazilian city and its women. Blanquito decided to stay and make Rio his home leading a hedonistic lifestyle that dominates the subject of his lyrics. In this 7-minute short we are treated to a hilariously over the top barrage of Blanquito’s twisted take on love, lust and sexual nature. This short had me laughing hysterically and is one of the funniest things I saw at Hot Docs this year.
Sexy Baby takes a more serious approach to its subject matter, but that does not mean it doesn’t contain laughs of its own. Sexy Baby focuses on the stories of three females: Winifred, a 12 year-old at the start of filming, starting to discover and play with her sexuality and how sexy she may appear; Nichole, former Porn Star Nikita Klass, who after years of having sex for money is now desperate for a child with her husband; and Laura, a girl in her 20’s who is utterly embarrassed over the look of her vaginal “lips” and desperately wants a labiaplasty to fix them. Winifred is a cantankerous young girl with a quick wit and a burgeoning sexuality that scares the hell out of her separated parents. Mom and Dad find themselves in a constant struggle to keep Winifred from the negative influences of social media while still trying to allow her to grow up without being stifled. Nichole and her husband, also a porn veteran, are desperately trying for their first child after many failed attempts and one miscarriage. Laura, an assistant kindergarten teacher is embarrassed by the overly large vaginal opening she has and claims it ruins her sexual confidence. She feels that she needs to get the labiaplasty to rectify this issue.
Sexy Baby uses the three stories to explore the way women choose to exhibit their sexual independence in our current electronic age. Winifred is the standout here, her personality is infectious and you are captivated by her story, while wanting to grab her and shake some sense into her at other times. Nichole finally get her wish and she seems to be the most level-headed of the three, an older wiser version of what we hope Winifred does not become. Laura is probably the girl who comes off worse, sometimes shallow and possessing a deluded version of beauty. Ultimately its Laura who comes of as the promiscuous one, shown out picking up some random guy at a club after her surgery is successful. The film could have easily focused on Winifred and been successful, but the three stories combined prove to be more of a conversation piece.
Sexy Baby succeeds in its goal and is a strong recommend. A memorable double-bill for very different reasons.
Til Next Time,
Movie Junkie TO
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