Cebo Para Una Adolescente

Bait For An Adolescent.

Ornella Muti was always a daring actress unafraid of dealing with taboo characters. Nevertheless, we cannot state that her entire acting career was a sexual innuendo that had her close to the sexploitation genre all the time. The previous entry we had on her career was La Ultima Donna one of her most daring and controversial films to date. Today's entry happened two years before in 1974 to be exact, making 1974 her most active filming year along with 1972 where she would work in at least 3 films a year.

Cebo Para Una Adolescente, AKA Bait For An Adolescent despite the highly exploitative title is perhaps one of her most PG rated films ever made. Now, is that something bad? absolutely not! Ornella Muti is not only astonishing beautiful but also tremendously talented when it comes to acting. 

Maribel (Ornella Muti) is finishing her high school and desperately trying to find a job to help her poor parents. Being only a student with no experience, her father who works for Ignacio (Philippe Leroy) tells her to apply for a secretary position that's been opened on his office. Once she gets the job interview she meets Ignacio in person and he's instantly crushed by her magnificent beauty. He tells her as long as she works hard he can give her a hand and have her as his personal assistant BUT reminds her that she needs to take an English exam in order to be given the job(the film was made in Spain, so everyone speaks Spanish in the original Audio but I'm not quite sure if Ornella Muti's voice was dubbed by someone else because her Spanish make her sound radically different from her native captivating Italian accent).

Here's my innocent girl Mr. Ignacio.

I'm an old fart who can make you cum.

So, does Maribel get the job? Despite failing her English exam, Ignacio knows she comes from a very hard working family besides, who wouldn't want a personal assistant this young and beautiful? So, the obvious answer is "yes, she gets the job". However, as soon as Maribel is settling in her new job, Ignacio begins hitting on her quickly. The hitting is mutual and soon they're in love. 

Everything seems to be going up for young Maribel as even her family approves the relationship she's having with her boss. Unfortunately, Ignacio is a natural born Casanova, he's already married and has two children. Rumor has it, Maribel is not the first personal assistant to fall for Ignacio. As soon as the relationship starts to grow, Ignacio tells Maribel they have to keep the distance during working hours. Also, he tells her he's got a room where they can meet for their sexual escapades, avoiding suspicion from his wife and co workers. Here's where Maribel starts realizing she's been used as a sex toy rather than as a beloved girlfriend.  

Private time to diddle her skiddle.

Enter Carlos.

Maribel decides to move along with the idea and starts taking her little brothers Curro & David to the swimming pool club nearby. All of a sudden she starts seeing Carlos (Emilio Guitierrez Caba) more often and they begin a very entertaining friendship that includes her little brothers too. This new "friend" is seen as a menace by her parents. Specially, ever since Don Ignacio gave her father a loan to afford a new luxurious apartment. At this point the movie title starts making complete sense as poor Maribel is trapped between a relationship that doesn't fit her anymore and her duty as a responsible woman helping her family improve their lifestyle. In addition, Carlos offers Maribel a more natural relationship with someone her age.

Cebo Para Una Adolescente, exploits the abusive relationship a powerful man can pull over a younger girl who's just entering the world of adults. Nevertheless, this movie takes matters very softly and there is little or no "exploitation" value in the plot and scenes involving the story. There are no guns, violence, rapes or humiliations here. Francisco Lara Polop, cleanly directs the story into a PG rated movie that can be watched and understood by the entire family. The kids scenes add fun to the movie, they're naturals at what they do. Ornella Muti, is a believable Maribel. Emilio Gutierrez Caba, portrays and idealistic young professional who wants to live life the way he sees fit. Philippe Leroy, plays a very well executed powerful rich man who abuses Maribel and her family with class. 

 

Boy! I can't concentrate!

What ya lookin' at?

Overall, a not so entertaining film that tells the cliched story of a poor family who uses her beautiful young daughter to achieve a better lifestyle (very much like in the Latin American soap opera tradition) Just don't expect any daring exploits or nudes as the only evident piece of exploitation here is the movie title only. Now, is this film for Ornella Muti fans only? Maybe, but it still does offer some entertainment beyond the cliched and dated story it depicts. Later, this film would be re-release on DVD in 2010 under the Forbidden Passion title using a very suggestive picture of Muti in order to help sales increase. Being one of Muti's weakest films,  at least it gives you the chance of seeing her act in a "clean" role where no nudity or sex needs to be involved in order to appreciate what she can do. Ultimately, that must be the number one reason she accepted the role of Maribel, since most of her 70's films required her at least to show her boobs in a scene.

Here's a movie excerpt where we see Maribel & Ignacio share some quality time while dining:

Cebo para una adolescente (Clip 02).- from JustACultCinemaFan on Vimeo.