Monsieur Hulot's Holiday

Jacques Tati's alter ego, makes his screen debut as Monsieur Hulot (who is played by Tati), the pipe-smoking angel of chaos who manages to destroy the tranquillity of a Breton seaside resort as Tati gently pokes fun at the habits of petit-bourgeois holidaymakers in his Chaplinesque manner.

A classic of art cinema, Mr. Hulot's Holiday is the work of a notorious perfectionist and the charming simplicity of the virtually dialogueless (but with carefully managed sound effects and a reiterating melody) film belies the care that went into the execution of sight gag whilst overall the film expresses  a world view that in its whimsicality bespeaks a nostalgia for the past but also a kind of Zen timelessness.

DVD Extras: Madman's excellent quality release is a new digital transfer with restored image and sound. There is an optional English language soundtrack created by Tati as well as newly translated sub-titles. In addition there is a 1963 short film by René Clément starring Tati and the original theatrical trailers for Tati's other Hulot films.

Available from: Madman

 

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