MON ONCLE

Mon Oncle- Jacques Tati, 1958

Jacques Tati plays Monsieur Hulot, a self-absorbed chucklehead wrestling with neoteric gadgetry -- and losing -- in this satirical masterpiece that makes sport of mechanization, class distinctions and modernity. While visiting his sister's surreal, ultra-trendy home, Hulot finds himself incessantly at odds with newfangled contraptions that get the better of him. The tongue-in-cheek French comedy garnered a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.

Ive heard people compare this movie to other physical comedies like Pink Panther, Charlie Chaplin and Mr. Bean, (Mr Bean being the closest in similarity) but its really much more...i also thought it was pretty ironic how the super mod stylings of Hulot's sisters house is pretty in line with a lot of peoples super silly, uncomfortable mod furnishings of today! The seperation between Hulot's old world Paris and the super hip Paris modern world is also made distinct by the accordion music and exaggerated Paris street life in Hulots neighborhood, people mill about grumbling, complaining, living, but never really saying anything, there is almost no distinct dialogue in the entire movie, one of my favorite scenes is when the brother in-law calls Hulot and when he does accordion music comes blaring out the phone, pretty clever gag...this movies full of them...for having been made in 1958 its pretty timeless and alot of the underlying morality, the desperate social climbing aspects of the sister, (who turns the fountain on and off constantly depending on the importance of the visitor) and themes apply to today more than ever! I would say watch this when youre in the mood for something light and humorous but dont expect to be rolling around on the floor laughing, maybe a guffaw or a harumph maybe even a few chuckles but the shots are beautiful and nothing compares to Paris in the 50's...