Director Jacques Tati’s greatest folly is primarily divided into two chapters; the first has Monsieur Hulot trying to make an appointment in a huge, ultramodern building made of glass and steel, and the second shows a hip Paris night club go from busy to chaotic. As usual, Tati makes his point early (one he’s made several times before) but still delivers a film that goes on for over two hours. However, one cant help but marvel at the complexity of all the parallel little skits taking place in every scene; this is astonishingly meticulous filmmaking. The steel and glass constructions are impressive, but Tati also cares about his flesh and blood characters.

The YouTube clip shows a scene in the office building.

1967-France. 125 min. Color. Widescreen. Produced by Bernard Maurice. Directed by Jacques Tati. Screenplay: Jacques Tati, Jacques Lagrange. Cast: Jacques Tati (Monsieur Hulot), Barbara Dennek (Young tourist), Jacqueline Lecomte (Young tourist’s friend), Valerie Camille, Leon Doyen.

Trivia: Art Buchwald wrote the English dialogue. A huge set (dubbed “Tativille”) was built for the movie; those costs, added to the commercial failure of the film, eventually bankrupted Tati. Alternate running time: 155 min.

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Published 2009-07-28 05:05