Oh, why do I love this movie so much? It must be its bright, sun-drenched beach setting, its sunny disposition, its sweet optimism and untempered innocence, its cheerful, gentle depiction of a bygone era when a disparate group of folk gather to vacation at a funky Gallic seaside resort. Whatever it is, this 1953 farce fills me with joy every time I see it. It was my wide-eyed introduction to French comic Jacques Tati eons ago.
It's obvious that Tati was an inveterate people-watcher. He depicts the foibles and peccadilloes of his eclectic array of characters with insight, charm and wit. Tati's view of humanity is both loving and generous. His main character, M. Hulot (played by M. Tati), is a somewhat daffy and eccentric bumbler who interacts with the other characters and lurches about leaving havoc in his wake. There's no plot to speak of, just a series of comic and nostalgic vignettes that segue effortlessly from one to the next.
This is the kind of comedy where you feel compelled to recount your favorite funny moments afterwards. Is it the recalcitrant horse, the gravity-prone mass of taffy, the ping-pong ball that propels Hulot to throw a peaceful card game into chaos, Hulot's wildly eccentric, but brutal, tennis serve that decimates his opponents, the deflatable wreath at the funeral, the restless tiger-skin rug, the suspense-ridden trek of the little boy holding the two ice-cream cones? You name your own.
I tittered, I chuckled, I laughed heartily and, occasionally, I guffawed. Yet there is a tinge of sadness at the finale as the activities wane, the guests depart and the hotel is shuttered up. Another endless summer finally ends. "See you next year!" is the parting refrain. "See you next time!" I say of this movie treasure.
It's obvious that Tati was an inveterate people-watcher. He depicts the foibles and peccadilloes of his eclectic array of characters with insight, charm and wit. Tati's view of humanity is both loving and generous. His main character, M. Hulot (played by M. Tati), is a somewhat daffy and eccentric bumbler who interacts with the other characters and lurches about leaving havoc in his wake. There's no plot to speak of, just a series of comic and nostalgic vignettes that segue effortlessly from one to the next.
This is the kind of comedy where you feel compelled to recount your favorite funny moments afterwards. Is it the recalcitrant horse, the gravity-prone mass of taffy, the ping-pong ball that propels Hulot to throw a peaceful card game into chaos, Hulot's wildly eccentric, but brutal, tennis serve that decimates his opponents, the deflatable wreath at the funeral, the restless tiger-skin rug, the suspense-ridden trek of the little boy holding the two ice-cream cones? You name your own.
I tittered, I chuckled, I laughed heartily and, occasionally, I guffawed. Yet there is a tinge of sadness at the finale as the activities wane, the guests depart and the hotel is shuttered up. Another endless summer finally ends. "See you next year!" is the parting refrain. "See you next time!" I say of this movie treasure.