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6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Baby's Laxative remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you are looking for a deep, poetic masterpiece from a legendary director, you should probably look somewhere else. Baby's Laxative is not that kind of movie. It is mostly just people screaming at each other in a small apartment about a kid who won't go to the bathroom. 🚽
I think people who like old-school stage comedies will have a blast with this. But if you hate loud noises or bratty kids, you will probably want to turn it off after ten minutes. It is a very specific kind of chaos.
The whole thing is basically Renoir playing with his new toy: sound. Since it was 1931, you can tell he was excited to record everything. The sound of water pouring or a glass clinking is way louder than it needs to be.
Michel Simon plays Follavoine, a guy who makes porcelain. He is trying to act all professional for a big army contract. But he’s wearing this ridiculous outfit and his wife, Julie, keeps wandering in wearing her bathrobe. She doesn't care about the business deal at all.
She only cares that their son, Toto, hasn't had a bowel movement. It is such a stupid, simple problem that ruins everything. I love how petty the stakes are here.
There is this one moment where Simon is holding a chamber pot and trying to prove it won't break. The way he handles it is so awkward it made me laugh out loud. He looks like he’s handling a holy relic, not a toilet. 🏺
The kid, Toto, is a complete nightmare. He just sits there looking smug while the adults lose their minds. You kind of want to see him get in trouble, but he just keeps winning.
It reminds me a bit of the energy in Die Hose, where everything revolves around one embarrassing household item. Farce is always better when it's about something nobody wants to talk about in public.
The dialogue is fast. Like, really fast. My eyes were getting tired just trying to keep up with the subtitles. It feels like a filmed play, which it basically is. 🎭
There is a scene where they try to trick the kid into drinking the laxative by making the guest drink it first. It is so predictable but the timing is perfect. Michel Simon’s face when he realizes what is happening is worth the price of admission alone.
His face is like a melting candle. I don't know how he makes those expressions. It's better than the acting in some of the stuff from that era, like A Bird in the Hand, which feels way more stiff.
I noticed that the apartment they are in feels really cramped. It adds to the feeling that everyone is trapped. You can almost smell the tension (and the laxative). 🏠
The movie doesn't really have a 'message.' It just shows a bunch of people being selfish and annoying. It’s actually pretty refreshing for a movie this old.
One weird detail: the sound of the toilet flushing. Apparently, that was a huge deal back then. It’s a very crisp sound. Renoir really wanted us to hear that water move.
It’s not a perfect movie. It ends kind of abruptly. One minute they are arguing, and the next, the credits are rolling. I felt a bit dizzy when it stopped. 😵💫
But honestly? I'd take this over a boring 'prestige' film any day. It’s messy and human. It’s just a guy trying to sell pots while his life falls apart because of a constipated kid. What’s not to like?
IMDb —
1916
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