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January 19, 2007
Jacques Tati (October 9, 1908-November 5, 1982) was one of the greatest comic film directors working in France, or for that matter, in cinema in general. Due to his extreme perfectionism, he made only six movies in his lifetime. But then, it's quality not quantity that matters. Tati often appeared in his movies as Monsieur Hulot, a man at odds with the modern world with its mad emphasis on materialism, efficiency and social conventions.
Our library has two by Tati:
Mr. Hulot's Holiday (aka Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot)
"One of the most original-and hilarious-comedies ever made, M. Hulot's Holiday has delighted and disarmed moviegoers the world over since its first appearance in 1953..." - David Ehrenstein (read the entire essay).
Mon Oncle
A comic masterpiece from director-star Jacques Tati (Playtime, Traffic), this 1958 film--Tati's first in color--reprises the carefree, oblivious title character from the director's hilarious international hit Mr. Hulot's Holiday. This time, the story finds Hulot, a self-involved twit on a constant collision with the physical world, grappling with 1950s-style progress. Visiting his sister and brother-in-law in their ultra-progressive household full of noisy gadgets and futuristic decor, Hulot inevitably has dust-ups with modernity, each one exceptionally funny. Taking a page from Buster Keaton's playbook, Tati also employs his trademark techniques with sound and production design to achieve the indefinable, comic genius of his films: the rhythmic clacking of footsteps, the cartoon-panel distance of his camera frame from the heart of the action. (Why are funny things funnier when seen from a few extra feet away?) Tati is one of the cinema's great treasures, and this movie is unforgettable. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com
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