‘Look Who’s Talking’: The terrible Hollywood comedy utterly adored by Léa Seydoux
When you think of Léa Seydoux’s filmography, your mind might jump to sweeping titles like ‘a purveyor of the finest independent cinema’ or a frequent member of Wes Anderson‘s imagination.
After starring in films like Blue is the Warmest Colour, The Lobster and The Grand Budapest Hotel, Seydoux has crafted a body of work that reflects the ideas of the most daring directors in the business, with the actor bringing life and depth to each character they conjure.
With recent success in the latest Dune series and continuing her work with auteurs like Mia Hansen Love and David Cronenberg, Seydoux has become one of the most sought-after actors in the business. Her creative edge allows her to traverse across all possibilities in crafting a performance, something that you’d imagine influences her personal taste in film. But this can be demonstrated in a unique way through one strange comedy she completely loves, despite being widely despised by many.
Seydoux is no stranger to controversy, something she encountered from a young age after her performance in Blue is The Warmest Colour, with the director coming under fire for his unethical approach to filming sex scenes. An enormous amount was demanded of both Seydoux and her co-star Adèle Exarchopoulos, with both becoming the youngest ever to win the prestigious Palme d‘Or.
However, perhaps this has been influenced by a keen eye for stories that challenge the status quo and go against the grain. That’s why she sees a quality often overlooked in the 1989 film Look Who’s Talking, which was famously known for employing the talents of Bruce Willis to voice a baby.
Amy Heckerling, the director, was better known for films like Clueless and Fast Times at Ridgemont High, but also helmed a few other films that didn’t quite reach the same cult status. Starring John Travolta in the lead role, the film follows a single mother who is looking to find the perfect father for her child, dating until she meets the right one.
It’s a fairly ridiculous yet endearing movie that divided audiences upon release, with Seydoux highlighting her love for it and its strange disappearance from popular culture, saying, “It disappeared completely. It’s strange… I just love the fact that the baby was talking. It was such an amazing idea.”
The film opens with a POV shot of a sperm racing to fertilise an egg, with the sperm being voiced by Bruce Willis himself before reaching the end goal. It then cuts to a baby, voiced by Willis, something that continues throughout the movie in the most jarring and unabashedly 1990s style. Eventually, it went on to make nearly $300million at the box office.
It’s a strange achievement that we struggle to comprehend, yet perhaps it isn’t so far-fetched given that The Minecraft Movie made over double that amount, despite possessing no greater substance. While we might imagine it would be hard to make this kind of film today, it’s an emblem of a particular era of filmmaking and the undisputed taste of Léa Seydoux.
