Mon Oncle
Directed by Jacques Tati
Written by Jacques Tati with artistic collaboration by Jacques Lagrange and Jean L’Hote
1958/France
Specta Film/Gray Film/Alter Films et al
Repeat viewing/Netflix rental
#351 of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
[box] [at the 1959 Academy Awards] I find that the people who speak the worst English want to talk more than the others. — Jacque Tati[/box]
This is utterly charming and laugh out loud funny. It is my favorite of Tati’s films and I love them all.
Monsieur Hulot just can’t help innocently creating chaos anywhere he happens to be. Naturally, children love him. He lives in a quaint and traditional part of Paris.
Hulot’s sister and brother-in-law live with their son Gerard in a monstrosity of an ultra-modern house. Think Disneyland’s Home of the Future gone insane. Gerard’s father, an industrialist, is jealous of Hulot’s warm relationship with his son. So he tries various schemes to give Hulot a “goal in life”. Of course all of these go haywire.
Tati was a genius and this is a practically perfect comedy. The sight gags often happen simultaneously. It can be watched over and over again and you will find several things you missed on all previous viewings. I particularly like the dogs and the fish fountain. Highly recommended.
Mon Oncle won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
Trailer
