The Illusionist (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

May 12, 2011 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

A beautifully animated film with humor, a lot of heart and also bit of sadness. “The Illusionist” is a visually striking, beautiful film which looks even better on Blu-ray!

TITLE: The Illusionist (L’Illusionniste)

FILM RELEASE DATE: 2010

DURATION: 80 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (1:85:1), English 5.1 DTS-HD MA, Subtitles: English, English SDH

COMPANY: Sony Pictures Classics

RATED: PG (For Thematic Elements and Smoking)

RELEASE DATE: May 10, 2011

Directed by Sylvain Chomet

Original Screenplay by Jacques Tati

Adaptation by Sylvain Chomet

Produced by Sally Chomet, Bob Last

Executive Producer: Philippe Carcassonne, Jake Eberts

Co-Executive Producer: Jinko Gotoh

Music by Sylvain Chomet

Production Design by Jacques Arhex

Art Direction by Bjarne Hansen

Featuring the voices of:

Jean-Claude Donda as The Illusionist/French Cinema Manager

Eilidh Rankin as Alice

Duncan MacNeil

Raymond Mearns

James T. Muir

Tom Urie

Paul Bandey

From the Director of the Oscar®-nominated classic The Triplets of Belleville, THE ILLUSIONIST is a story about two paths that cross. While touring concert halls, theaters and pubs, an aging, down-on-his-luck magician encounters a young girl at the start of her life’s journey. Alice is a teenage girl with all her capacity for childish wonder still intact. She plays at being a woman without realizing the day to stop pretending is fast approaching. She doesn’t know yet that she loves The Illusionist like she would a father; he already knows that he loves her as he would a daughter. Their destinies will collide, but nothing – not even magic or the power of illusion– can stop the voyage of discovery.

Film Clip – Alice Takes in Edinburgh

Film Clip – Alice Tries on her New Shoes

The Making of the Illusionist – Design

Trailer – Coming Soon

From writer and director Sylvain Chomet (“The Triplets of Belleville”, “The Old Lady and the Pigeons”, “Paris, Je T’aime”) comes “The Illusionist” (L’Illusionniste), which is based on an unpublished screenplay written by legendary French actor and filmmaker Jacques Tati.

The film was nominated for an Academy Award in 2011 for “Best Animated Feature Film of the Year” and a winner of a European Film Award, a NYFCC Award and a National Board of Review Award for “Best Animated Film”.

“The Illusionist” takes place in 1959 and focuses on a man, The Illusionist (a magician) who has not done too well and is unable to find long-term employment in Paris.

So, the Illusionist moves to London where he takes his suitcase, his rabbit and belongings and hopes for employment in the city. What he finds out is that his act is following a rock band. Knowing that he doesn’t quite fit in to that crowd, he still manages to take on jobs wherever he can.

One day, he receives a job in a Scottish island. While staying in a room above a village pub, he meets a young, poor girl named Alice. Alice is very nice but he notices that she doesn’t have any decent clothes, her shoes are in the worst shape. But yet, she does all she can to make him happy. She is also a bit naive because she has never seen magic before and thus she thinks he is gifted with powers and is able to create money out of nowhere.

But the Illusionist enjoys the fact that this kindhearted girl looks up to him and so, he is wanting to return that kindness back to her, he purchases her a brand new pair of new shoes.

Overtime, like the other locations of where the Illusionist had worked before, along comes more competitive entertainment and once again, he must try to find a place to work and live.

Eventually he decides to move to Edinburgh, Scotland. So, while on the ship to leave, he is shocked to find out that Alice has snuck aboard the ship and joined him on his trip. And eventually, the two move to Edinburgh where the Illusionist takes up a job at a local theater and both end up living in a hotel where other performers are living.

While the Illusionist sleeps in a small couch and the girl sleeps in a nice bed, The Illusionist starts to look at Alice like a daughter and she looks up to him like a father. Whenever the two go out, she always goes by the shopping stores and when she sees these clothes from the window, she is always dreaming of wearing a nice jacket, having nice shoes and a nice dress. And so, the Illusionist begins to buy her those gifts, even though he does not have much money.

But Alice becomes a bit too dependent on the Illusionist for things and he finds himself having to work odd jobs that he doesn’t want to do but wants to make Alice happy.

Always naive, Alice always believe that the Illusionist can make money come from nowhere but the truth is, he is losing money and knows it will come to a point where he can no longer afford to take care of her.

What will happen to these two individuals who are like father and daughter? Can they be together forever?

VIDEO:

“The Illusionist” is presented in 1080p High Definition (1:85:1). This film is breathtakingly beautiful. The visual style is impressive and I was quite content with the character designs, the in-between animation for movements and most of all, the painted backgrounds. A lot of detail and vibrant scenes that catch your eye, there is no doubt that “The Illusionist” is visually stunning and looks incredible on Blu-ray!

I detected no banding, no speckles, no noise or any defects. Blacks were nice and deep, the film showcased a colorful pallet. Personally, I was very pleased by the film’s animation and background art.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“The Illusionist” is presented in English 5.1 DTS-HD MA. The film features wonderful music but also utilizing ambiance of the crowded areas that the Illusionist would visit. There is no dialogue, in fact, despite hiring French talent to do the voicework of the characters, there is no dialogue and for the most part, it sounds more like gibberish.

Which is fine because a lot of Tati’s work at the time didn’t require much words, it was all about action and Hulot’s physical comedy. Granted, this is not supposed to be Hulot (although it looks very much like Hulot and in one instance, the Illusionist does have a brief encounter with a M. Hulot scene from “Mon Oncle”.

Subtitles are presented in English, English SDH and French.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“The Illusionist” comes with the following special features:

The Making of The Illusionist – (3:30) A short video showcasing the sketches and artwork from the “The Illusionist” and behind-the-scenes footage of the staff working on making the film.
Theatrical Trailer – (1:32) The original theatrical trailer for “The Illusionist”.
Animated Line Tests – (2:23) Featuring five animated line tests (animated sketches on the backgrounds) for “Chasing the Rabbit”, “Window Shopping”, “Fish and Chips”, “Morning Routine Line Tests” and “Morning Routine Completed Version”.
Before and After Animation Sequences – (8:46) A side-by-side comparison of the before and after animated sequences for three scenes.

Jacques Tati, a wonderful actor and one of the greatest film directors who has only created six feature films but watching it today, you can’t help but feel he was ahead of his time. The French filmmaker who saw the Paris that he grew up with becoming a different Paris that is today.

And Tati’s Charlie Chaplin-esque character Monsieur Hulot began with the 1953 film “Las Vacances de Monsieur Hulot” (Mr. Hulot’s Holiday) and would earn Tati his first Academy Award nomination for “Best Original Screenplay”.

For many people today, their introduction to Jacques Tati may be through his 1967 big budget film “Playtime” (featuring a modern Paris), his 1959 film “Mon Oncle” (featuring old Paris and Parisians becoming more modern/technological) but before these two magnificent films, “M. Hulot’s Holiday” would not so much focus on its surroundings but it would poke fun on economic classes but also showcasing the physical comedy talent of Jacques Tati as Monsieur Hulot.

And while we are able to watch Jacques Tati films showcasing the character of Monsieur Hulot, Tati had one script that was not produced. Right after his film “Mon Oncle”, Tati wrote the screenplay for “L’Illusionniste” (The Illusionist).

And why it was not produced may be because it was a film that was too personal for Tati and possibly was never meant to be a film.

There are controversies of what was the primary motivation of “The Illusionist”. One is that it was a screenplay that was meant to be a letter to his estranged eldest daughter Helga Marie-Jeanne Schiel, his illegitimate daughter that he abandoned when she was a baby.

While there are others who felt it was written for his daughter Sophie Tatischeff, who gave the screenplay to “The Illusionist” writer and director Sylvain Chomet (“The Triplets of Belleville”, “The Old Lady and the Pigeons”, “Paris, Je T’aime”).

Chomet was a strong believer that the screenplay was about Sophie and thus the controversial debate as those who believe the film is for Helga are very upset that Helga has not received any credit in the film at all.

And because the enormity of this controversy, this was probably one of the few films where several, major film critics had difficult reviewing or chose not to review it at all. The fact is that many were big supporters of Jacques Tati’s work. One of the biggest supporters was Jonathan Rosenbaum, you can read a lot of his essays especially about “Playtime” and how it changed his life but he and Roger Ebert were swayed from reviewing the film because of a letter from Richard McDonald, the middle grandson of Jacques Tati.

McDonald wrote to the film critics and the following was posted on their blog articles (Roger Ebert posted the entire letter here) which I will excerpt here:

It is well documented that my grandfather, Jacques Tati, wrote the script of l’Illusionniste as a sentimental semi-autobiographical reflection on how he was feeling about himself and in particular what he saw as his personal failings during the 1950′s. It is also documented that the script was written as a personal letter to his teenage daughter. What is less well known however is the depth of his deceitful torment and how in the script he wrestles with the notion of publicly acknowledging his eldest daughter, my mother, who he had under duress from his elder sister heartlessly abandoned during the Second World War. At the time performing at the Lido de Paris with his long term lover, my grandmother Herta Schiel, Tati’s deplorable conduct towards his first child was met with utter disgust by the majority of his then stage colleagues. Thrown out of the Lido by Leon Volterra, it was from this act, having been shunned by the Paris cabaret circuit for his caddish betrayal of one of their own and not as is often wrongly told to avoid Nazi recruiters, that Tati took refugee in the village of Sainte-Sévère in 1943, where he would later shoot Jour de Fete. The stage performers of Paris were a close knit community and in the same way that they had previously provided for Piaf they would also collectively help shelter Tati’s abandoned infant daughter Helga Marie-Jeanne whom as Piaf was born in Paris at the Hôpital Tenon located in the 20th arrondissement.

McDonald would further detail information that is quite crucial:

It has been acknowledged that the script for l’Illusionniste was written as a personal letter to Tati’s teenage daughter. Sophie his second child was not a teenager at the time of its writing, only his eldest daughter, Helga Marie-Jeanne whom he had adversely neglected as an infant was. In 1955 Helga was thirteen years of age, Sophie had just turned nine. Consecutive versions of l’Illusionniste script exist dated from 1955 through to 1959.

But if you read further, McDonald would go into detail of his meeting with writer/director Sylvain Chomet and also put into question of how did Chomet get this script, a script that Tati’s daughter Sophie Tatischeff protected.

This is information that is critical and why several film critics who adore Jacques Tati’s work can not review the film. The fact is that “The Illusionist” was never intended to use an image similar to Jacques Tati’s character Monsieur Hulot. But what you see is an animated version of Hulot or a person who looks very like him. The family of Tati, especially coming from McDonald, feel that their family name has been tarnished because of this film. That Tati’s screenplay has been sabotaged by Chomet.

But the story goes much further of how this film would have hurt Jacques Tati because this was meant to be a personal screenplay meant for his daughter that he was unable to be there for. A daughter that he abandoned and felt terrible for it. And the screenplay for “The Illusionist” shows that conflicted feeling that Tati felt.

The children of Helga Marie-Jeanne Schiel, the grandchildren of Jacques Tati stand opposed to the making of this film and have wanted people to know about the truth of this film. For those who love Tati’s work, will want to know the true story behind “The Illusionist”. Those who just want to watch an animated film, should by all means, then watch this film as it is. Because I found it to be a charming and wonderful animated film with striking visuals but also a storyline that keeps the humor and melancholy that those familiar with Tati films can probably feel happy watching it.

While I present the side of Tati’s grandchildren, it is also important that I do present the other side of the controversy and that is from “The Illusionist” producer Bob Last.

Last wrote to Roger Ebert with the following response (note: you can read the full version here, this is an excerpt):

Mr. McDonald has outlined an unusual account of part of the life of a cinema great and has proposed some interpretations of the origins and intent of the script; however the truth or otherwise of these assertions and insights is not rightly a matter for the film to concern itself with. Although Sylvain Chomet’s artistry has been enriched by the cinematic legacy of Jacques Tati in no sense does this film set out biographical claims, indeed its setting in Edinburgh, Scotland and the Western Isles clearly transposes it even further away from a world that would be familiar to Jacques Tati.

Last went on to say:

If the success or failure of all cinema were to be held to account against a historical, social or psychological analysis of the underlying state of mind of the script writer then it would cease to exist as a functioning art form. Cinema is underpinned by our embrace of the writer’s artifice, our understanding that while the writer may draw upon their inner selves and own experiences they are nonetheless writing for us, the audience.

It is regrettable that Mr McDonald has, in his public comments, attempted to implicate Sylvain Chomet and our film in a past we cannot know and have not set out to define or comment upon.

This is so difficult if you are a fan of Jacques Tati. “The Illusion” looks great and the story is very good…. but if you are a Tati fan, you know in your heart if what Mr. McDonald has said is correct, then this film was not supposed to be made. It is a painful film that was meant for one person and that person is his illegitimate daughter that he was unable to get close to, can’t get close to, will never get close to and this sadness has become part of his inner turmoil up to the last year of his life.

The more I think about this film and think about Tati, I remember how film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum would write about this film. Rosenbaum wrote, “If I exclude all these problems, I would agree (or at least assume) that Chomet’s film has some merit and some charm apart from all of these issues. But for reasons that I hope are clear by now, I’m not the right one to report on this.”

So, this is what I will say. I absolutely adore Jacques Tati’s work, I also enjoyed Sylvain Chomet’s work with “The Triplets of Belleville” and thus I will leave it at this. This is a wonderful animated film to come from France and I can understand how it is the most deserving for being recognized by the Academy.

If you enjoy Chomet’s work, I’m quite confident that you will definitely enjoy the visuals and the storyline of “The Illusionist”. The Blu-ray definitely showcases the vibrance and beautiful artwork of the crew who worked on this film and labored so hard to capture that style with the utmost efficacy.

Trafic – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #439 (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

April 8, 2011 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

I am so happy that each of the M. Hulot films were released by the Criterion Collection. Entertaining, fun and a final goodbye to Monsieur Hulot. Highly recommended!

TITLE: Trafic – The Criterion Collection #439

RELEASE OF FILM: 1971

DURATION: 97 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Color, 1:33:1 Aspect Ratio, French Monaural, Subtitles: English SDH

COMPANY: Janus Films/Studio Canal/The Criterion Collection

RELEASED: July 15, 2008

Directed by Jacques Tati

Original Scenario by Jacques Tati

Artistic Collaboration with Jacques Lagrange, Bert Haanstra

Producer: Robert Dorfman

Music by Charles Dumont

Cinematography by Eduard van der Enden

Edited by Maurice Laumain, Sophie Tatishceff

Production Design by Adrien De Rooy

Costume Design by Jacques Esterel

Starring:

Jacques Tati as Monsieur Hulot

Marcel Fraval as Truckdriver

Maria Kimberly as Maria

Honore Bostel as Director of ALTRA

Francois Maisongrosse as Francois

Tony Knepper as Mechanic

In Jacques Tati’s Trafic, the bumbling Monsieur Hulot, outfitted as always with tan raincoat, beaten brown hat, and umbrella, takes to Paris’s highways and byways. For this, his final outing, Hulot is employed as an auto company’s director of design, and accompanies his new vehicle (a camper tricked out with absurd gadgetry) to an auto show in Amsterdam. Naturally, the road is paved with modern-age mishaps. This late-career delight is a masterful demonstration of the comic genius’s expert timing and sidesplitting visual gags, and a bemused last look at technology run amok.

With his Charlie Chaplin-esque character Monsieur Hulot, we would see how Monsieur Hulot would experience the changes of Paris beginning with his 1953 film “Mr. Hulot’s Holiday” (Las Vacances de Monsieur Hulot”), which would earn Tati his first Academy Award nomination for “Best Original Screenplay”. His third major feature “Mon Oncle” (1958) would be Tati’s first film in color and would focus on the disappearance of the Paris that he once knew and France’s obsession with modern architecture and gadgetry but also American-style consumerism and his fourth major feature, the third to feature Hulot was the 1967 film “Playtime”.

In “Playtime”, Monsieur Hulot, he easily gets lost in the city and leads him to adventures to various areas such as an office building (which he had a problem with today’s modern architecture) as he gets lost trying to get to his meeting and ends up being pulled away to a high-tech trade expedition, a high-tech apartment and then leads him to nightclub known as the Royal Garden. The film culminates with the carousel of cars as Barbara must leave the city and sees almost a carousel/parade of all these vehicles all around her and how all the people react. What we see is a city that has been transformed to a festive, enormous metropolitan playground.

In Jacques Tati’s final film “Trafic” (1971) starring Monsieur Hulot, as Tati would showcase at the end of “Playtime” with the vehicles, the automobiles become the focal point in the movie.

“Trafic” begins with an automobile plant working on vehicles. One of the vehicles is a prototype designed by Monsieur Hulot (played by Jacques Tati) which is an all-in-one vehicle with plenty of gadgetry for those who want the life they would have at home, right inside their car . And the prototype would be unveiled at an important car show in Amsterdam.

The PR executive, Maria (played by supermodel Maria Kimberly) will drive her own vehicle to prepare the car for the show but all that Hulot and truck driver (played by Marcel Fraval) needs to do is make it to Amsterdam.

But unfortunately, the truck that is carrying the prototype breaks down (continuously). While Maria panics about getting the prototype to the show, M. Hulot plays it off cool as he tries to help the truck driver get the truck fixed.

Meanwhile, similar to other films starring Hulot which feature how society behaves with technology and the modern setting, “Trafic” shows us what people do in their cars while they are waiting in traffic.

While they make their way to Amsterdam, will they get there in time? And will Monsieur Hulot’s cool nature help tame the spoiled Maria?

VIDEO:

“Trafic” is presented in the aspect ratio of 1:33:1 and for its age, “Trafic” looks very good. Because a lot of early ’70s films tend to use not-so-great film to shoot on and either its very grainy or the colors were saturated due to degradation of the film elements, I wasn’t sure how “Trafic” would look. But after watching it, the film looks awesome for its age. I do hope Criterion considers this for a Blu-ray release in the near future.

According to the Criterion Collection, this new high definition digital transfer was created on a Spirit Datacine from a 35 mm interpositive. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, scratches, splices, warps, jitter and flicker were manually removed using MTI’s Digital Restoration System. To maintain optimal image quality through the compression process, the picture on the dual-layer DVD-9 was encoded at the highest-possible bit rate for the quantity of material included

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Trafic” is presented in French monaural. For those familiar with M. Hulot films, you will noticed that dialogue is not so important or is rarely used but for “Trafic” there is some dialogue featured in this film and for the most part, you can understand the dialogue, especially coming from Maria. And also the familiar M. Hulot song is played throughout the film.

According to the Criterion Collection, the soundtrack was mastered at 24-bit from a 35 mm magnetic track and audio restoration tools were used to reduce clicks, pops, hiss and crackle.

Subtitles are presented in English SDH.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Trafic” DVD comes with the following special features:

DISC 1

Morceaux de bravoure – (14:29) An episode of the French TV program “Morceaux de bravoure”from January 16, 1973 titled “The Comedy of Jacques Tati” hosted by Andre Halimi and features an interview with Jacques Tati.
Le jouranal du cinema – (7:23) An episode of French TV program “Le Journal du cinema” from April 16, 1971 and features the cast of Trafic talking with host Anne Andreu about their experiences making the film.
Trailer – (2:18) The original theatrical trailer for “Trafic”.

DISC 2

In the Footsteps of M. Hulot – (51:17) Directed by Jacques Tati’s daughter Sophie Tatischeff, an excellent two-part documentary that chronicles the evolution of the filmmaker’s character and alter ego Monsieur Hulot through archival interviews, footage, photos and clips from many of his films.

EXTRAS:

Included is a 16-page booklet featuring the following essay “Watching the Wheels” by Jonathan Romney.

When it comes to the work of Jacques Tati, there are those who find his work artistic, creative and enjoyable and those who find his films to not be to their liking. But like any work of art, everyone will have their interpretation and opinion of it and the same can be said about Tati films.

For me, the last three M. Hulot films have been humorous, entertaining and I never grow bored watching them because in some ways, these films were created at the time where many cities began its transformation from old to new. M. Hulot films showcases the change of Paris and Hulot being thrusted into a new age of technology and vanity.

As “Mon Oncle” showcased a family wanting to have the modern home, while he lived in an older part of Paris free from its modernization. “Playtime” showcased the people who wanted to work in a modern office setting and live in a modern home and people who were fascinated by the changes. In “Trafic”, may it be what people were inspired by 007 films or perhaps Tati’s thinking that the next step for people will be people living inside their cars. Where they can drive, sleep, watch TV, prepare food, take a shower…everything you need is inside a car.

One may wonder how Jacques Tati would feel if he lived past 1982 and saw how society today, would become more dependent towards technology. I can already picture M. Hulot throwing that iPad or laptop out the window.

But if there is one thing that I love about his films, it’s his observance of people towards technology at the time. From the the couple who purchased a car garage opener that is triggered by sensor lights and eventually the couple being stuck inside their garage. The same with “Trafic” as we see people in their cars, picking their nose and just waiting in their cars during traffic. And in someways, it does make me laugh because for those of us who live in a metropolitan area and are always stuck in traffic, one may wonder how much of our lives are we stuck waiting in traffic and there are many times where I looked around me and watching people either singing, putting their makeup on, talking on their cell phone and like the film, constantly picking their nose.

And like his previous films, yo get the scenes that are carefully staged, the choreographed scenes especially with the vehicles as they wait in traffic or collide with each other during an accident. But unlike the previous films, Monsieur Hulot is less of a klutz or the comedy clown that is always getting in some type of trouble. In “Trafic”, he is the cool-headed one trying to ensure that the car gets to its destination, fetching gas or talking to the mechanics. If anything, it’s the delivery truck itself that is getting into trouble in “Trafic” as it constantly breaks down.

While Hulot is playing it cool and the truck driver is quite amiable about his truck’s weaknesses, we watch PR exec Maria as she is constantly being bossy or annoyed by the truck not making its destination. But its her transformation that because quite interesting because where Hulot and the truckdriver go, she has to be there as well, keeping updates to the rep at the automobile show of what the status of the car’s delivery is. Maria embodies the people we have seen from previous M. Hulot films. She has the sophistication and beauty, she is always with her dog and she drives this small sportster convertible which she drives and realize how close she is to hitting other cars.

But its the opposites that attract that we see how she changes through being around Hulot which was quite to fun to see and in someway, since “Trafic” is the final feature film for Jacques Tati and the last we would see of M. Hulot, the ending was quite fitting.

Is it better than the other previous films? Well, “Playtime” was a behemoth in itself to coordinate and was so expensive that it literally put Jacques Tati’s future film endeavors in jeopardy and more or less would hurt him personally and financially. But it’s a film that although it didn’t do well in the box office, it was highly regarded as a masterpiece years later. Tati put his heart and soul to “Playtime” while “Trafic” felt it was less about Hulot and more about the vehicles and the other two talent (the truck driver and Maria) who were around him. But still, I found “Trafic” to be enjoyable.

And for this DVD release, I found the release to be quite special because as the film would be the final feature film for Tati and M. Hulot, his youngest daughter Sophi Tatischeff would create a two-part documentary celebrating her father’s career and life in 1989. Unfortunately, Sophie passed away in 2001 but the Criterion Collection would do Tati fans a great service by including her documentary “In the Footsteps of M. Hulot” in this DVD release of “Trafic”. So, you are getting both the film and documentary in this wonderful DVD release.

Overall, I am so happy that each of the M. Hulot films were released by the Criterion Collection. “Trafic” is a no brainer for Tati fans to purchase and the remastered film looks very good that I hope the Criterion Collection considers its release on Blu-ray in the near future.

Entertaining, fun and a final goodbye to Monsieur Hulot. Highly recommended!

The Illusionist Makes Its Spellbinding Appearance on Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack May 10

March 14, 2011 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment

Based on The Script by French Comic Legend Jacques Tati & Directed by Two-Time Oscar®-Nominee Sylvain Chomet
Makes Its Spellbinding Appearance on Blu-ray™/DVD Combo Pack May 10

Culver City, Calif. (Mar. 14, 2011) – Sony Pictures Home Entertainment raises the curtain for the Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD release of the Oscar®-nominated animated film The Illusionist on May 10, 2011. Directed by two-time Academy Award®-nominated director Sylvain Chomet (Oscar® Nominee, Best Animated Feature, The Illusionist, 2010; The Triplets of Belleville, 2003), The Illusionist is a rich and touching animated feature about the father-daughter relationship between an aging magician whose art is slowly becoming obsolete and a young orphan girl just at the start of life’s journey. The script—originally penned by the late Jaques Tati (Mr. Hulot’s Holiday, Mon Oncle) as a love letter to his daughter—serendipitously found its way into the hands of Chomet by way of his sole surviving daughter Sophie Tatischeff who thought his hand-drawn animation style would perfectly suit the film.

The enchanting special features include a making of featurette and a rare look in to the animation process with line tests and progression sequences. The Illusionist will be available for the SRP of $38.96 (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack).
The Illusionist Synopsis:
An outdated, aging magician, forced to wander from country to country, city to city and station to station in search of a stage to perform his act meets a young girl at the start of her life’s journey. Alice is a teenage girl with all her capacity for childish wonder still intact. She plays at being a woman without realizing the day to stop pretending is fast approaching. She doesn’t know yet that she loves The Illusionist like she would a father; he already knows that he loves her as he would a daughter. Their destinies will collide, but nothing – not even the magic or the power of illusion – can stop the voyage of discovery.

Special Features Include:
“The Making of The Illusionist” Featurette
The Animation Process: A rare look at the line tests and progression sequences
“Chasing the Rabbit” Line Test
“Window Shopping” Line Test
“Fish and Chips” Line Test
“Morning Routine” Line Test and Completed Scene Montage
Garden Party & Travel Before & After Animation Sequences
Steam, Splashes, Smoke and The Flying Scotsman Before & After Animation Sequences
Tatischeff Before & After Animation Sequences

Filed Under: Blu-ray & DVD News

M. Hulot’s Holiday – THE CRITERION COLLECTION # 110 (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

July 3, 2010 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

Jacques Tati shines as Monsieur Hulot in this slapstick comedy. A film that set the stage for “Mon Oncle” and “Playtime”, “M. Hulot’s Holiday” is hilarious, fun and also entertaining from beginning to end.

TITLE: M. Hulot’s Holiday – THE CRITERION COLLECTION # 110

DURATION: 87 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Black and White, Monaural in French with optional English Subtitles, 1:33:1 Aspect Ratio

COMPANY: Janus Films/The Criterion Collection

RELEASED: 2001

Directed by Jacques Tati

Screenplay by Henri Marquet and Jacques Tati

Produced by Fred Orain, Jacques Tati

Music by Alain Romans

Cinematography by Jacques Mercanton, Jean Mousselle

Edited by Suzanne Baron, Charles Bretoneiche, Jacques Grassi

Production Design by Roger Briaucourt, Henri Schmitt

Set Decoration by Henri Schmitt

Starring:

Jacques Tati as Monsieur Hulot

Nathalie Pascaud as Martine

Micheline Rolla as the Aunt

Raymond Carl as the Waiter

Lucien Fregis as Hotel Proprietor

Pipe-smoking Monsieur Hulot, Jacques Tati’s endearing clown, takes a holiday at a seaside resort where his presence provokes one catastrophe after another. Tati’s wildly funny satire of vacationers determined to enjoy themselves includes a series of precisely choreographed sight gags involving dogs, boats, and firecrackers. The first entry in the Hulot series is a masterpiece of gentle slapstick.

Similar to his other Hulot films, “M. Hulot’s Holiday” is a film that sports hardly any dialogue and relies on physical comedy and farce and film that is nostalgic of popular slapstick silent comedies decades earlier.

“M. Hulot’s Holiday” revolves around the gauche Frenchman, Monsieur Hulot (played by Jacques Tati) as he spends his vacation at a beach resort.

But what may seem as convenient to Hulot, the rich people at the resort see him as a bit of an inconvenient man. May it be his small automobile that keeps popping loudly or his unfamiliarity to the life of the rich, whenever Hulot is around, more than likely trouble/inconvenience will follow.

And for one young woman named Martine (played by Nathalie Pascaud), seeing a man like Hulot in the stuffy beach resort is something quite fresh, unique and hilarious.

VIDEO:

“M. Hulot’s Holiday” is presented in 1:33:1 black and white. According to the Criterion Collection, the new digital transfer was created from a 35mm interpositive. For a film that is nearly 60-years-old, the transfer looks absolutely wonderful on DVD. Some scenes better than others. Blacks are nice and deep, whites and grays feature a great contrast and if anything, the film looks very good for its age and wouldn’t be surprise if the Criterion Collection one day considers this release for Blu-ray.

AUDIO:

According to the Criterion Collection, “M. Hulot’s Holiday” features a soundtrack mastered from a 35mm interpositive. The sound was mastered from the magnetic tracks and is presented in monaural French with optional English subtitles. As mentioned, there is rarely any dialogue but the film does sport music, a lot of car popping, crowd ambiance, etc.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The “M. Hulot’s Holiday” comes with the following special features:

Video introduction by writer, director and performer Terry Jones – (3:12) Terry Jones talks about “M. Hulot’s Holiday” and what he loved about the film.
René Clément’s 1936 short film, Soigne ton gauche, starring Jacques Tati – (12:24) In this film, a young Jacques Tati plays a young adult who works at a farm and catches the eye of a boxing promoter. The promoter wants the young man to participate in a local boxing match in their village. But the young man doesn’t know what he is getting himself into.
Optional English language soundtrack, created by Jacques Tati – Tati is one of the few filmmakers who recognized his English speaking audience and thus, would release his films with English dialogue. Although, not a film known for its dialogue, the various conversations from people at the resort can be heard in English.

EXTRAS:

“M. Hulot’s Holiday” comes with an insert featuring a brief 3-page writeup by David Ehrenstein and production credits.

A wonderful performance by Jacques Tati, “M. Hulot’s Holiday” is the precursor of Hulot’s perspective towards life, modern advancement in society which would eventually become a storyline prevalent in “Mon Oncle” and “Playtime”.

In my case, I have watched the order of these films in reverse with “Playtime” and then “Mon Oncle” before “M. Hulot’s Holiday” and if anything, it has given me perspective of Tati. When you consider how his earlier short films have showcased his physical comedy, the settings during the 30′s and 40′s were of old France. As seen in Rene Clement’s 1936 film in which Tati starred in (and is included on this DVD), a small farming village with a boxing rink, we are able to see the open fields, trees and unpaved land.

In the 1950′s, Paris and the country of France started to go through significant changes and although not too evident in “M. Hulot’s Holiday”, as it would be in his next two films, “M. Hulot’s Holiday” is a film showcasing the gauche Monsieur Hulot as he partakes in a vacation resort usually attended by the rich.

When he drives his single passenger, small automobile that is slow and noisy to his clumsiness (and really not aware of it) as he rides a canoe which breaks in half in the water and making people think a monster is in the ocean, to M. Hulot playing tennis. Not knowing what the game is about but is able to score significant aces during his match. The film features plenty of hilarious gags which are precisely choreographed.

In one scene, we see M. Hulot painting his canoe on the shore. While he places his paint bucket next to him, he is unaware that the tide keeps moving the paint bucket from right to left and vice versa. But each time he puts his paint brush down, the paint bucket arrives just in time.

These are scenes that are reminiscent of classic Chaplin and Keaton. The classic years of silent cinema and slapstick comedy that Tati is able to convey through his 1953 film.

But where the charm was in 1953 of the debut of Monsieur Hulot, I felt was much better conceived in “Mon Oncle” and “Playtime”. In “M. Hulot’s Holiday”, the film does get a bit repetitive as the film tends to focus on Hulot’s bumbling style. Hilarious as it may be, what makes his two other films work are the gags showcasing the other characters of the film. And I think that is what Tati learned from making this film, that one’s preoccupation with Hulot can only go so far, that he would have to let the other characters in the film, also partake in the gags as well. And this is where the formula works, especially in “Playtime” which I felt was Tati’s ultimate masterpiece.

There is no doubt that “M. Hulot’s Holiday” is a film in which Jacques Tati shines. His physical comedy, slapstick comedy, the cinematography and score for the film, especially how things are just timed quite well is impressive. There is no dialogue yet Tati manages to capture its viewers and I have no doubt in my mind, in 1953, “M. Hulot’s Holiday” was a film that impressed cinema fans and international audiences.

Overall, “M. Hulot’s Holiday” is a hilarious and enjoyable film. But perhaps because of my passion for “Playtime” and “Mon Oncle” and also how it plays on technology and modernism, Tati was able to utilize his cast in full effect as opposed to this film in which it’s primarily M. Hulot that shines.

Nevertheless, this is still a film worthy of watching. This is where it all starts for Monsieur Hulot and cinema fans who are passionate about “Mon Oncle”, “Playtime” and “Trafic” will definitely want to include this film into their collection. Definitely recommended!

Filed Under: DVD Reviews, THE CRITERION COLLECTION

Mon Oncle – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #111 (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

December 29, 2009 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

Jacques Tati’s first color film “Mon Oncle” is a visual feast and another impressive masterpiece!

TITLE: Mon Oncle – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #111

DURATION: 116 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Color, 1:33:1 Aspect Ratio, Monaural in French with Optional English Subtitles

COMPANY: Janus Films/The Criterion Collection

RELEASED: 2001

Written and Directed by Jacques Tati

Artistic Collaboration by Jacques Lagrange and Jan L’Hote

Producer: Jacques Tati, Fred Orain

Co-Producer: Louis Dolivet

Associate Producer: Alain Terouanne

Original Music by Franck Barcellini, Alain Romans, Norbert Glanzberg

Cinematography by Jean Bourgoin

Edited by Suzanne Baron

Production Design and Set Decoration by Henri Schmitt

Costume Design by Jacques Cottin

Starring:

Jacques Tati as Monsieur Hulot

Jean-Pierre Zola as Charles Arpel

Adrienne Servantie as Madame Arpel

Alain Becourt as Gerard Arpel

Lucien Fregis as Monsieur Pichard

Betty Schneider as Betty, Landlord’s Daughter

Jean-Francois Martial as Walter

Dominique Marie as Neighbor

Yvonne Arnaud as Georgette, the Housekeeper

Adelaide Danieli as Madame Pichard

Slapstick prevails when Jacques Tati’s eccentric hero Monsieur Hulot is let loose in the ultramodern home of his brother-in-law, and in an antiseptic factory that manufactures plastic hose. Tati directs and stars in the second entry of the Hulot series, a delightful satire of mechanized living.

With his Charlie Chaplin-esque character Monsieur Hulot, his second film “Las Vacancdes de Monsieur Hulot” (Mr. Hulot’s Holiday) would introduce the character and would earn Tati his first Academy Award nomination for “Best Original Screenplay”. His third major feature “Mon Oncle” (1958) would be Tati’s first film in color and would focus on the disappearance of the Paris that he once knew and France’s obsession with modern architecture and gadgetry but also American-style consumerism.

The film not only had impact in France but also in America as the film would win an Academy Award for “Best Foreign Language Film”, a Special Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and also a New York Film Critics Award.

Tati’s character, M. Hulot, would return in his most ambitious and expensive film “Playtime” in 1967 and “Trafic” in 1971.

“Mon Oncle” is a film that shows Monsieur Hulot (played by Jacques Tati) living in an old area of Paris. This represents Hulot’s old world. We see the city life of people in the area, trying to make money selling vegetables on the streets, people still riding a horse and carriage and for M. Hulot, he is an unemployed man who travels around by foot and lives in an old apartment. He is happy with his life and living his life free and happy.

A different life than his sister Madame Arpel (played by Adrienne Servantie) who is married to the very rich Charles Arpel (played by Jean-Pierre Zola) and have a young son named Gerard (played by Alain Becourt). The Arpels are part of the new world.

The Arpel’s live in an ultra modern home with automatic gate openers, a statue of a fish shooting water out of its mouth, a lawn that is featured in a variety of colors with a walkway and stepping stones. The home is quite empty but showcases modern furniture and the couple’s embracing of the latest technology. The two show off their status by their home and possessions while their son, Gerard is totally different from them. He could care less about the house and the technology.

For Gerard, he looks up to his uncle Hulot which tends to anger his parents. Gerard could care less about his home and his parent’s lifestyle, he just wants to have fun with his friends who are from the old world as they enjoy pranking people who think they’ve gotten into car accidents or distracting people by whistles in order to make them crash into a pole. Gerard likes that life of living free and that is what makes him appreciate his uncle so much more.

Meanwhile, Mr. Arpel can’t stand Hulot’s lifestyle and looks at Hulot to be quite an immature man. So, Mr. Arpel tries to get him employment in a variety of businesses including his own company and his wife tries to introduce him to women in their upper class circle.

For M. Hulot, we watch him as he goes from the old world to the new and having to deal with a variety of situations. From working a job utilizing technology to picking up Gerard from school and all the shenanigans that take place.

It’s important to note that “Mon Oncle” is a film that has very little dialogue. Tati’s films are visual and music-based with the use of sound effects to create the actual mood. For those who are familiar with Charlie Chaplin’s work, Jacques Tati employs similar devices used in silent films with his films focusing on a person’s actual actions.

Also, director Jacques Tati has a way of making sure that there is a character distinction of not just within the human characters but also the surroundings such as buildings, vehicles and animals having their part in the film. “Mon Oncle” is a visual treat that would be the precursor to his most ambitious, most expensive and most fascinating film, “Playtime”.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Mon Oncle” is presented in color and in 1:33:1 aspect ratio. For a film created in 1958, The Criterion Collection has done a good job in transferring the film to DVD. There are some situations where you do see the occasional dust and scratches of the film but for the most part, for a film that is over 50-years-old, “Mon Oncle” looks quite beautiful on DVD.

As for the film, according to Criterion, the digital transfer was created from a 35mm interpositive. I would hope to see that the film was run through their MTI Digital Restoration system to minimize the scratches and dust but this was an older DVD release from 2001. The film looks good but knowing Criterion and what they have accomplished with earlier films that they re-released, I hoped “Mon Oncle” is definitely considered for remastering and restoration in the near future. After seeing what The Criterion Collection has done with Tati’s “Play Time” on Blu-ray, it makes me wonder what they can do with “Mon Oncle” if they choose to re-release it. I’m sure it would look equally as beautiful and vibrant.

As for the audio, the audio is presented in Monaural and according to Criterion, the sound was mastered from the 35mm magnetic tracks. I personally chose to listen to the film with audio on my home theater receiver set for stereo on all channels for a better audio experience with my 7.2 setup. But for the most part, sound is clear and the music by Franck Barcellini and Alain Romans is fantastic.

Optional subtitles are featured in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Mon Oncle” comes with the following special features:

Video Introduction- (5:07) A video introduction by writer, director and performer Terry Jones who knows a lot about Jacques Tati’s work and his impressions of “Mon Oncle” when he first watched it and now.
L’ecole des facteurs – (15:04) The second short film directed and starring Jacques Tati back in 1947. The short film is about a new postman who has a job to deliver his mail on bike and must take outgoing mail to the airplane in time. But with challenges he meets on the job, will he be able to get the mail out in time?

Fantastic! A Jacques Tati masterpiece that has its relevance even today with the technological changes that we have experienced in the last 25-years and have become so dependent on technology for everyday life, one can’t help but understand and sympathize with Jacques Tati as he had experienced in 1958 and seeing part of the world that he lived in, changing with technology and modernism.

After watching “Playtime” (my first Tati film), I knew what to expect. Granted, “Playtime” was even more modern and so ambitious for Tati, “Mon Oncle” is a much purer film as it doesn’t rely on extravagant buildings or sets or many people and vehicles being choreographed to move a certain way.

It’s the characters through Hulot’s eyes and also Gerard’s eyes that intrigue us. From his landlord’s daughter who we see grow up with each scene to Gerard and his friends trying to fake car accidents, there is a lot to watch and take in visually and have a fun time with what Hulot provides. There are scenes that I didn’t see the first time, that I saw on the second watch especially through the Arpel side and the technology used. From the vacuum cleaner that doesn’t need a human, to the automatic window cleaner and speaking of technology, how about the garage door that activates with a sensor and traps its owners in the garage, or the modern furniture that may look visually appealing but not in terms of comfort, to the actual design of their modern home and how difficult it is for the party goers where there they have to watch where they step in and rely on the various stones.

Considering that day in time where people wanted to move forward in technology and people can only imagine what the future had in store, here we are in today’s modern age, dependent on technology and those things we enjoyed 25-years-ago may all be part of the past but featured in a different manner. One would imagine how Tati would have filmed a Hulot film in today’s world.

There can be comparisons with Tati’s “Mon Oncle” and Charlie Chaplin’s “Modern Times” and Rene Clair’s “A nous la liberte” but where those two films are more similar to each other, “Mon Oncle” is much different. Part of me feels that Tati created these films as almost a time capsule of how things were like and will never be. This is a story about a man caught in the world of the old and the new and using comedy to show that transition. The film is satirical, full of gags and for me, visually poetic but in someways, there is some sadness to the film (in my perspective) because there is no way Hulot and I would guess a lot of those others in the old French neighborhood would comfortable in this modernist world. In one scene, a grocer from old Paris delivers food to the Arpel’s and he is just in awe of the lifestyle and home that they live in.

I’ve read that the US release of “My Uncle” was quite different (Tati filmed an English version at the same time) and through editing, signs were changed and certain scenes were eliminated. Especially how the Arpel’s and their friends spoke in English while the French side of Hulot’s world do not. It would be been nice if the Criterion Collection was to revisit this release, to include the English version on Blu-ray.

Overall, “Mon Oncle” is another visual feast from Jacques Tati and with many people discovering “Playtime” on Blu-ray, hopefully many of these viewers who enjoyed the film will also give “M. Hulot’s Holiday”, “Mon Oncle” and “Trafic” (which the three are also available on DVD via The Criterion Collection) a chance. Definitely recommended!

Filed Under: DVD Reviews, THE CRITERION COLLECTION

Playtime – THE CRITERON COLLECTION #112 (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

November 15, 2009 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

A wonderful accomplishment by director Jacques Tati. Although a film with no plot and hardly any dialogue, “Play time” features absolutely beautiful imagery and for those who can see the beauty and the comedy within this film, will be entertained from beginning to end. A fantastic film and another fantastic Blu-ray release from The Criterion Collection!

TITLE: Playtime – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #112

DURATION: 124 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (1:85:1 Aspect Ratio), Color, Stereo, In French with English Subtitles

COMPANY: Janus Films/THE CRITERION COLLECTION

RELEASE DATE: September 18, 2009

Directed by Jacques Tati

Written by Jacques Tati, Jacques Lagrange, Art Buchwald (additional Englis Dialogue)

Produced by Bernard Maurice

Associated Producer: Rene Silvera

Music by Francis Lemarque

Cinematography by Jean Badal, Andreas Winding

Edited by Gerard Pollicand

Costume Design by Jacques Cottin

Starring:

Jacques Tati as Monsieur Hulot

Barbara Dennek as Young Tourist

Rita Maiden as Mr. Schultz’s Companion

France Rumilly as Woman Selling Eyeglass

France Delahalle as Shopper in Department Store

Valerie Camille as Mr. Lac’s secretary

Erika Dentzler as MMe. Giffard

Nicole Ray as Singer

Yvette Ducreux as Hat Check Girl

Jacques Tati’s gloriously choreographed, nearly wordless comedies about confusion in the age of technology reached their creative apex with Playtime. For this monumental achievement, a nearly three-year-long, bank-breaking production, Tati again thrust the endearingly clumsy, resolutely old-fashioned Monsieur Hulot, along with a host of other lost souls, into a bafflingly modernist Paris. With every inch of its superwide frame crammed with hilarity and inventiveness, Playtime is a lasting testament to a modern age tiptoeing on the edge of oblivion.

French director Jacques Tati is considered as one of the best directors of all time. Known for his comedic work in France, his character Monsieur Hulot has appeared in several successful comedic films such as “Juor de Fete”, M. Hulot’s Holday”, “Mon Oncle”, “Traffic” but there is one film that will be his accolade. That film is “Playtime”.

Considered a masterpiece by critics, the film was also a commercial failure and was the most expensive film ever created in France as Tati created a set featuring a whole city block with high rise buildings that looked incredibly real. But the film was ahead of its time.

“Playtime” is a visual film with no significant plot, nor does it have much dialogue. It’s a film that is driven by its many characters onscreen and the elaborate setup as characters, buildings and vehicles are treated with so much detail on the film, that it just a feast for ones easy as Tati absolutely created a film that was sheer brilliance.

But part of the problem was his risky gamble on 70 mm widescreen and stereophonic sound. Many theaters were not equipped to handle that and to make things worse (but understandable) is the lack of dialogue which can easily turn off audiences. So, needless to say, the film didn’t do well in France and also in America.

It’s after Tati died in 1982, is when people found admiration in his work and seeing how his films were truly amazing.

“Playtime” is like a smorgasbord of life being changed by modern technology and as Tati was known to do, lambast modern society as he was a man that was definitely “old school” to the time of his death.

The film revolves around Tati’s famous character Monsieur Hulot and an American tourist named Barbara.

For Monsieur Hulot, he easily gets lost in the city and leads him to adventures to various areas such as an office building (which he had a problem with today’s modern architecture) as he gets lost trying to get to his meeting and ends up being pulled away to a high-tech trade expedition, a high-tech apartment and then leads him to nightclub known as the Royal Garden.

As for Barbara, she just wants to experience the beauty of Paris. She accompanies her (loud) American friends but she rather enjoy France her own way. Obviously Barbara had different ideas in mind of Paris but instead she receives a modernize setting.

The film culminates with the carousel of cars as Barbara must leave the city and sees almost a carousel/parade of all these vehicles all around her and how all the people react. What we see is a city that has been transformed to a festive, enormous metropolitan playground.

“Playtime” focuses on these two characters (and other characters who shows up more than once), Tati showcases modernization (which looks beautiful) but it’s that demolishing of the France that he loves and now getting used to this new France is what makes “Playtime” quite entertaining.

Viewers can watch “Playtime” with its original French audio but also an International version which features the film in English.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Playtime” is presented in 1080p High Definition (1:85:1 Aspect Ratio). Accord to Criterion, the black bars at the top and bottom of the screen are normal for this format. The HD digital transfer was created on Spirit Datacine from the 35mm reduction internegative made from the 65 mm interpositive. Thousands of dirt, debris, scratches, splices, warps, jitter and flicker were manually removed using MTI’s DRS system and Pixl Farm’s PFClean system, while Digital Vision’s DVNR system was used for small dirt, grain and noise reduction.

“Playtime” is featured in its original French language but also a alternate International soundtrack which features a few scenes with English dub.

As for the audio, the audio is presented in lossless stereo. Criterion mentions that the soundtrack for “Playtime” was remastered at 24-bit from the original stereo audio stems. Clicks, thumps, hiss and hum were manually removed using Pro Tools HD. Crackle was attenuated using Audio Cube’s integrated audio workstation.

Subtitles are provided in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Playtime” comes with the following special features:

Video introduction by writer, director, and performer Terry Jones – (6:13) Terry Jones talks about “Playtime” and what he remembered when he watched in on the theater for the first time, what he thought about the film and also a little information about Jacques Tati.
Selected scene commentary by film historian Philip Kemp – (46:44) A well done commentary by Philip Kemp as he talks about certain scenes from the film. Kemp definitely giving an intelligent and yet smooth delivery for commentary for the film. Very informative!
Au-delà de “Playtime,” a short documentary featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the production – (6:30) Featuring a behind-the-scenes look of how the set was created for “Playtime” and video footage of Jacques Tati with the cast and crew.
Tati Story, a short biographical film – (20:38) A featurette celebrating the work of director Jacques Tati. Featuring photos and video of Jacques Tati from when he was a child to when worked on his final film. Very good insight to Tati’s personal life and his career.
“Jacques Tati in Monsieur Hulot’s Work,” a 1976 BBC Omnibus program featuring Tati – (49:28) Featuring an interview conduced by Gavin Millar who interviews Tati at the Hotel de la Plage about M. Hulot and films that the character has appeared in.
Rare audio interview with Tati from the U.S. debut of Playtime at the 1972 San Francisco International Film Festival (Courtesy of Pacifica Radio Archives) – Featuring Jacques Tati at the 1972 SF International Film Festival (discussion moderated by Albert Johnson) and insight of Tati’s feelings of the film being showing in the US and his appreciation for the American fans who enjoyed the film. A great audio recording that gives us insight of Jacques Tati.
Video interview with script supervisor Sylvette Baudrot – (12:09) Sylvette Baudrot talks about working on the film and reveals some secrets of how Tati made this film work.
Cours du soir, a 1967 short film written by and starring Tati – (27:41) A short film in which features Tati teaching a mime class.

Also, included is an essay (in the insert) by Jonathan Rosenbaum (a film critic for the Chicago Reader from 1987-2000) titled “The Dance of Playtime”.

“Playtime” happened to be the first Jacques Tati film that I have ever watched. I was familiar with his character of M. Hulot but for years, I have wanted to watch and experience the film.

The first thing that I found surprising is the attention to detail as the unbelievable set Tati’s company had created was just fantastic. The buildings look modern, the set looks like a major section of Paris with all the people, buildings and vehicles. And sure enough, “Playtime” is a film that utilizes everything on screen to show how modern technology has literally chanted the landscape. Some who embrace the changes and convenience of modernization and some who feel they are left behind and are literally lost.

What makes this film work outside of its incredible set is that Tati is a perfectionist. He literally directs each person in the film. Everyone has an import part to play. May it be how characters have this choreographed walk as they go off in several directions to characters at a restaurant as we see people dancing on the dance floor, each person dancing differently. While servants are trying to get the food out and you see visual gags as one servant clearly has their eyes on something inside the club, while another is attentive to the female patrons and those who are desperately trying to get their food out. It may seem chaotic, but Tati knows what he wanted to get onscreen and succeeds.

“Playtime” features absolutely beautiful cinematography as we see bungalows on the work floor which work almost like a maze. We see buildings that appear to be metallic and the lighting automatically synchronizing when they turn on. We see vehicles move almost in synch with other vehicles.

We see people throughout the city in similar routines at work, we see people promoting the latest in modern technology ala the late 60′s and what is most amazing is that there is hardly any dialogue. It’s like you are given an upfront look at how life is in the city and seeing how various people react to each other.

The film plays out quite interesting as the first half is dedicated to various characters such as M. Hulot who has a business meeting but ends up getting lost in all the modern settings. Barbara is a tourist who has accompanied several American women to Paris and finds the city to be quite breathtaking. We see Monsieur Hulot getting lost in offices from buildings that look alike.

But then the second half of the film focuses on a nightclub known as The Royal Garden that is opening and yet not ready. We see how the builders and the restaurant staff prepare for their major night despite the nightclub not yet ready. Where the first half was quite visual, the second half focuses more intimately on the people of the nightclub and the film becomes more gag-driven but yet with so many people in the film, Tati did a wonderful job in making sure each character had some part in the film and contributed in some fun or hilarious way.

A visual film without dialogue may seem boring and monotonous but fortunately Jacques Tati included a good number of gags to make the whole 124 minutes a bit lively. I did feel the film went a little long and that scenes could have been cut but with Jacques Tati putting all his energy into this film, I understand how difficult it was for him to even cut any scene out. But I do feel that the film could have been much shorter but then again, I would have been curious to see Tati’s original, longer cut.

If anything, I really enjoyed what Tati did to create such a beautiful film. Three years of his life and also the crew and talent who made this film a reality is very much appreciated as I was entertained visually and I just felt so much respect for Tati after the film was completed. I did find it a bit disheartening to learn how this film which cost over $15 million (which was incredible for 1967 and was the most expensive French film at the time) caused problems for Tati as he was left bankrupt and unfortunately damaged his career. As much as it was critically well-received, it was a failure in the box office but partly that was because Tati chose 70 mm instead of 35 mm and Stereophonic sound which many theaters were not equipped to play during that time.

The Criterion Collection really did a great job in presenting “Playtime” on Blu-ray. The film looked absolutely beautiful for a film that is over 40 years old and because this film and what takes place onscreen is so immense that each time you watch this film, you will see things that you just didn’t catch the first time. You can’t help be amazed of how Tati and crew were able to create a modernized city. Tati made sure to really utilize his large cast in this film and what you see maybe different from what others are seeing because there are many things going on in the background. So, definitely a film that I have no doubt will require multiple rewinds because too much is happening in one sitting.

Also, The Criterion Collection edition of “Playtime” on Blu-ray features many special features that Jacques Tati fans will enjoy.

I’ve heard that the film is a statement by Tati of how much society has changed along with the city he has loved. The modernization with the use of electronics in buildings and restaurants and just making sure he has enough gags to make the audience laugh. If only Tati can see how much has changed today, that would definitely be an entertaining script.

A film that showcases beauty in various ways. This is absolute a film that was the highlight of Jacques Tati’s career and despite how this film may have done in the box office, anyone watching now and seeing what the director was able to accomplish with no discernible plot and very little dialogue is fantastic. And again, the visuals are just fantastic. I was really blown away with how beautiful and intricate of a film “Playtime” truly is.

“Playtime” is highly recommended!

Filed Under: Blu-ray Reviews, THE CRITERION COLLECTION