Jacques Tati proves more than any other filmmaker that comedy is
just as much an art form as drama. This was his first feature
length film, and while it's not quite up to the level of his three
masterpieces, M. Hulot's Holiday, Mon Oncle, and Playtime
(although the first time I saw each of them, I said the same thing),
it's as delightful as almost any other film ever made. Tati is not yet
M. Hulot, but Francois, a postman who rides through his small
hometown delivering mail on his bike. As the film opens, the town
is preparing its Bastille Day festivities (apparently; I don't think they
ever say "Bastille Day," but it's pretty obvious). The jokes are not
quite on the same level as those other three; they are a bit more
slight, though there were plenty of laugh-out-loud moments (the
cross-eyed guy has two hilarious scenes).
Around 2/3 of the film is spent during the celebration; Tati builds a
delightful atmosphere that will be recall memories of these types
of small town fairs if you youself have taken place in them. Like his
other films, the plot is very tenuous. Tati is much more interested
in the people around him.
Near the end of the fair, Francois sees a newsreel that shows how
high tech American postmen are. They are trained to fly
helicopters, the film tells us, and do so to deliver the mail. Some
have their own airplanes. To train, they race motorcycles through
obstacle courses, jumping over fire and such. Francois is
depressed by the lack of adventure and supreme efficiency in his
own work; through the night, people tease him about being tiny
compared to the American postmen.
The next morning, Francois devises different ways to make his
route go faster. A lot of these scenes are repeated from his short
Ecole de facteurs, which is included on the Criterion DVD of Mon
Oncle (this film has been out on VHS before; I've heard that
Criterion also restored Jour de fete but have no plans to release it
yet, which is depressing and, well, confusing).
The end is as beautiful as the marvelous endings of his three
masterpieces. "Fin" in a Tati film is always a sad event. I can't think
of any other filmmaker whose films I desire to watch over and over
again; I've seen M. Hulot's Holiday three times in the month and a
half since I bought it. There were tears in my eyes when "Fin"
appeared. 9/10.
just as much an art form as drama. This was his first feature
length film, and while it's not quite up to the level of his three
masterpieces, M. Hulot's Holiday, Mon Oncle, and Playtime
(although the first time I saw each of them, I said the same thing),
it's as delightful as almost any other film ever made. Tati is not yet
M. Hulot, but Francois, a postman who rides through his small
hometown delivering mail on his bike. As the film opens, the town
is preparing its Bastille Day festivities (apparently; I don't think they
ever say "Bastille Day," but it's pretty obvious). The jokes are not
quite on the same level as those other three; they are a bit more
slight, though there were plenty of laugh-out-loud moments (the
cross-eyed guy has two hilarious scenes).
Around 2/3 of the film is spent during the celebration; Tati builds a
delightful atmosphere that will be recall memories of these types
of small town fairs if you youself have taken place in them. Like his
other films, the plot is very tenuous. Tati is much more interested
in the people around him.
Near the end of the fair, Francois sees a newsreel that shows how
high tech American postmen are. They are trained to fly
helicopters, the film tells us, and do so to deliver the mail. Some
have their own airplanes. To train, they race motorcycles through
obstacle courses, jumping over fire and such. Francois is
depressed by the lack of adventure and supreme efficiency in his
own work; through the night, people tease him about being tiny
compared to the American postmen.
The next morning, Francois devises different ways to make his
route go faster. A lot of these scenes are repeated from his short
Ecole de facteurs, which is included on the Criterion DVD of Mon
Oncle (this film has been out on VHS before; I've heard that
Criterion also restored Jour de fete but have no plans to release it
yet, which is depressing and, well, confusing).
The end is as beautiful as the marvelous endings of his three
masterpieces. "Fin" in a Tati film is always a sad event. I can't think
of any other filmmaker whose films I desire to watch over and over
again; I've seen M. Hulot's Holiday three times in the month and a
half since I bought it. There were tears in my eyes when "Fin"
appeared. 9/10.