French Directors - Jacques Tati

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French Directors - Jacques Tati

M. Hulot's Holiday Jacques Tati Jacques Tati's second feature introduces M. Hulot (Tati), a genial, eccentric, middle-class French everyman whose vacation at a seaside French resort in Brittany produces one minor catastrophe after another. Tati's intricate juxtaposing of mime and slapstick is so refined, pure and expressive, there's an extraordinary pain, passion and tenderness that produces laughter and heartbreak. With Nathalie Pascaud, Michele Rolla and Louis Perrault. The DVD is a Criterion Collection Edition, with restored image and sound, and includes Rene Clement's 1936 short, Soigne ton Gauche, starring Tati; optional English language soundtrack, created by Tati; and an introduction by Monty Python's Terry Jones. In French with English subtitles. France, 1953, 87 mins. DVD $44.95

Mon Oncle Jacques Tati A masterpiece by the great French comic Jacques Tati, with Monsieur Hulot (Tati) set loose in a house where gadgets overpower everything. Inventive sound effects and minimal dialogue contribute to Tati's wry humor and sensational slapstick. "...a series of brilliant and original sight and sound gags. Monsieur Hulot's second screen appearance was enough to put him among the immortals" (Faber Companion to Foreign Film). The DVD is a Criterion Collection Edition, with restored image and sound, and includes Tati's 1947 short, L'Ecole des Facteurs, and an introduction by Monty Python's Terry Jones. In French with English subtitles. France, 1958, 116 mins. DVD $44.95

Playtime Jacques Tati Called one of the funniest men in the world by the New York Times, Jacques Tati shows his genius in Playtime, an hilarious comedy and satire on coping with the modern world. For Tati's now-legendary character, M. Hulot, everything seems to be against him--a glass-fronted airport, a new restaurant, even a supermarket. Full of visual gags and inventive use of sound, Playtime is one of the most imaginative films ever made. The DVD is a 2 disc Criterion Collection Edition, and includes video introduction by Terry Jones, selected scene commentary by film historian Philip Kemp, Au-dela de "Playtime" short documentary featuring archival behind-the-scenes footage, Tati Story featurette, "Jacques Tati in Monsieur Hulot's Work" 1976 BBC Omnibus program, audio interview with Tati from the U.S. debut of Playtime, video interview with script supervisor Sylvette Baudrot, Cours du soir 1967 short film written by and starring Tati, alternate soundtrack, and a new essay by Jonathan Rosenbaum. In French with English subtitles. France, 1967, 124 mins. DVD $59.95

Trafic Jacques Tati Jacques Tati's fifth and final feature, a laugh-filled look at modern society and the automobile, captures the absurdities of human behavior on the street and behind the wheel. Tati's Mr. Hulot is back as an absent-minded inventor trying to transport his ultramodern camper to Amsterdam for an auto show. "Splendidly funny...exuberantly entertaining...Traffic is a hilarious highway odyssey, a panorama that unfolds around Mr. Hulot" (Vincent Canby). This 2-DVD Criterion Collection Edition has a newly restored hi-def digital transfer, and includes In the Footsteps of Monsieur Hulot (1969), a two-hour documentary tracing the evolution of Tati's beloved alter ego, a 1971 Frenc TV interview with the cast, "The Comedy of Jacques Tati," a 1973 episode from the French TV program Morceaux de bravoure, theatrical trailer, improved English subtitles, and a new essay by film critic Jonathan Romney. In French with optional English subtitles. France, 1971, 97 mins. DVD $59.95