Back To Index Mon Oncle
 Barnes & Noble The sterility of modern, automated life is sent way, way up in Jacques Tatis comic masterpiece Mon Oncle. Tati himself stars as the lazy and affable Monsieur Hulot (the legendary character he created in Mr. Hulots Holiday) in a series of brilliant vignettes involving Hulots awkward interaction with his sisters family and their upper-class, futuristic lifestyle. Masterfully framed is his sisters house, a bizarre modern-architecture nightmare overflowing with absurd household gadgetry that automates -- and complicates -- even the simplest chores. Its style over substance and hi-tech as social status -- concepts that are perhaps even more relevant today than they were when the film was made. In stark contrast is the gracious, slow-paced, old-world Parisian lifestyle of the rather frumpy, pipe-smoking, bicycle-riding Hulot. Tati milks this contrast for all its worth, finding endless ways of making the inhabitants of that strange ultramodern abode seem awkward and ridiculous in their everyday rituals: their very footsteps are an absurdity of staccato clicks on polished stone floors, and pretty much everything in the house makes a buzz when turned on. This inventive use of sound is typically Tati, providing an extra layer of humor and atmosphere to what is at heart a silent film: Hulot has virtually no dialogue, and the gags are mostly visual. The sheer originality of all this is nothing short of genius, rivaling -- and perhaps surpassing -- the work of obvious predecessors like Keaton and Chaplin. Ultimately, Mon Oncle stands as one of the greatest screen comedies -- and one of the cleverest satires of the 20th-century lifestyle -- ever made. Gregory Baird Interested in the song lyrics? - Check out themostlyrics.com! Looking For A DVD? - Check out dvd-a-rama.com! |
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