Review: Mon Oncle (Criterion)
05-22-02, 10:39 AM
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Review: Mon Oncle (Criterion)
Mon Oncle (1958) Directed by and starring Jacques Tati. French with optional english subtitles.
I've been trying to write reviews of some of my favorite films that are frequently overlooked. Mon Oncle is a film that I likely never would have ever come across if not for Criterion's release and it is now one of my favorite films. Tati's understated sense of humor and amazing sight gags combined with biting social commentary make this film a classic.
THE FILM
While watching Mon Oncle it is sometimes hard to imagine that it is nearly 50 years old. The satire is thick and takes on kitchen gadgets, modern art, home decorating, home automation, parenting, factory work, marriage, driving, and much more. Tati plays Hulot to perfection. Although he is still living a simple life in a spartan apartment, his sister's family lives in a technological "dream house" that seems to be the intersection of the "Jetsons" and a Museum of Modern Art. The house is full of gadgets apparently intended to make life easier, but the "modern housewife" seems to have work even more to keep things going (in high-heels no less!). There is very little furniture, and what furniture there is looks ridiculous and is hardly functional. Every other character seems to suffer the furniture in silence; Hulot is the only one who bothers to try making the furniture comfortable. In one scene he tries sitting on a ridiculous molded plastic couch shaped like a kidney bean, finds it uncomfortable, and turns it on its side to make a comfy recliner--much to his sister's horror.
The title refers to Hulot's relationship with his nephew, Gerard. Gerard's father cannot seem to relate to Gerard like Hulot does and it causes much consternation that Gerard seems to always want to spend time with "Mon Oncle" Hulot rather than with his own father. The story can be seen as a sort of dual-seduction. Hulot is, without trying, somehow teaching his brother-in-law about being a good father and trying to draw him toward letting loose and having fun while Hulot's sister is always trying to bring Hulot into her world by getting him a job or getting him married.
Hulot never really knows what to make of his sister's world. He seems rather perplexed and almost frightened of her house and especially the hideous fountain that they turn on when guests arrive. The fountain, shaped like a giant metal fish spewing neon-blue water from its mouth to a horrific gurgling sound, is obviously Hulot's sister's attempt at a stunning show-piece for the home, but instead it just seems to illustrate that these people never have fun because they're always trying to impress everyone with how fancy their home is.
One of my favorite scenes involves a sort of "gift of the magi" type exchange between Hulot's sister and brother-in-law. They each decide to get the other the most intimate gift they can imagine: the husband trades in the car for the most hideous watermelon-looking car I can imagine and the wife installs an automatic garage door so they will no longer have to open it by hand. Of course the entire plan backfires with hilarious results when they end up trapped in the garage and cannot get the automatic door to open.
If there is one flaw with Mon Oncle it is that the humor is so understated, many people will miss much of it completely. In many scenes there are many people on the screen simulataneously and you may not immediately catch the gags--but they're all there. Hulot's town is populated by ordinary people in ridiculous situations and Hulot himself seems to bumble from one mishap to another, yet always escape unscathed. Tati's humor is different from many films and may not be to the taste of some: there is no laugh track or self-conscious sense of "I just told a joke and now I'm making a funny face, so laugh!" Everything is dead-pan. I've had people tell me the film is boring but sometimes after I point out some of what is going on they'll really start to enjoy the film and want to watch it several times.
EXTRAS
The disc includes a "video introduction" by Monty Python alumnus Terry Jones. While Jones does a great job of pointing out how masterfully Tati executed these meticulous sight gags, I personally think this introduction is best saved for after an initial viewing of the film. Jones does a better job of illustrating important aspects of the film in a few minutes than many feature-length commentaries. It will add plenty of insight into how rich this film really is, but may not make all that much sense if one has never seen the film before.
Perhaps the biggest treat on this disc, however, is the inclusion of Tati's 1947 short film L'ecole des facteurs (School for Postmen). By including L'ecole des facteurs, Criterion has allowed Tati to introduce himself to the audience in a short but delightful romp that chronicles the day of a freshly graduated postman (Tati) who must deliver all of his mail and then get some of the mail to a plane on time. Perfectly choreographed mayhem ensues, in the tradition of great silent films, and the sight gags come in rapid succession. Tati exhibits great bicycle tricks and physical humor with his mail bag on his way to getting all of the mail "delivered," but he somehow manages to mess up each and every delivery so that the mail is either ruined or the recipient does not even know that the mail has been delivered. My favorite scene: Tati showing off his dance moves.
I like the colorful presentation of this film: the simple illustration on the cover with the bright red background suits Mon Oncle just fine. The menus are done in a similar light-hearted style.
AUDIO and VIDEO
The film is presented in a gorgeously colorful transfer in the original aspect ratio of 1.33:1. I can find almost no flaws in the transfer and the film seems to have aged very well.
The sound is mono, as is to be expected from a film of this age. Everything comes through just fine, however, which is important because so much of the film depends on sound effects such as the babbling of the hideous fish fountain. There is occasional dialog that is difficult to discern, but I think that is by design as they occur in shots where the speakers are far away or many things are happening on-screen at once. The subtitles seem very good.
MY TAKE
It's obvious that I like this film very much. It was a fairly blind purchase for me but has been one of the best DVD pleasures I've had in the past year. I pull Mon Oncle out every few weeks, especially if I feel stressed out. There is nothing better to set your mind at ease than a light-hearted romp through life with Mr. Hulot. From the opening credits painted on construction signs and in chalk on a brick wall, this film seems particularly inventive with its numerous sight gags and satirical jabs at everything modern. Before watching the main feature, spend a few minutes to watch L'ecole des Facteurs, which is a great treat and while certainly less sophisticated than Mon Oncle, it will give you a sense of the humor to come nonetheless. I would highly recommend Criterion's release of Mon Oncle to anyone.
I've been trying to write reviews of some of my favorite films that are frequently overlooked. Mon Oncle is a film that I likely never would have ever come across if not for Criterion's release and it is now one of my favorite films. Tati's understated sense of humor and amazing sight gags combined with biting social commentary make this film a classic.
THE FILM
While watching Mon Oncle it is sometimes hard to imagine that it is nearly 50 years old. The satire is thick and takes on kitchen gadgets, modern art, home decorating, home automation, parenting, factory work, marriage, driving, and much more. Tati plays Hulot to perfection. Although he is still living a simple life in a spartan apartment, his sister's family lives in a technological "dream house" that seems to be the intersection of the "Jetsons" and a Museum of Modern Art. The house is full of gadgets apparently intended to make life easier, but the "modern housewife" seems to have work even more to keep things going (in high-heels no less!). There is very little furniture, and what furniture there is looks ridiculous and is hardly functional. Every other character seems to suffer the furniture in silence; Hulot is the only one who bothers to try making the furniture comfortable. In one scene he tries sitting on a ridiculous molded plastic couch shaped like a kidney bean, finds it uncomfortable, and turns it on its side to make a comfy recliner--much to his sister's horror.
The title refers to Hulot's relationship with his nephew, Gerard. Gerard's father cannot seem to relate to Gerard like Hulot does and it causes much consternation that Gerard seems to always want to spend time with "Mon Oncle" Hulot rather than with his own father. The story can be seen as a sort of dual-seduction. Hulot is, without trying, somehow teaching his brother-in-law about being a good father and trying to draw him toward letting loose and having fun while Hulot's sister is always trying to bring Hulot into her world by getting him a job or getting him married.
Hulot never really knows what to make of his sister's world. He seems rather perplexed and almost frightened of her house and especially the hideous fountain that they turn on when guests arrive. The fountain, shaped like a giant metal fish spewing neon-blue water from its mouth to a horrific gurgling sound, is obviously Hulot's sister's attempt at a stunning show-piece for the home, but instead it just seems to illustrate that these people never have fun because they're always trying to impress everyone with how fancy their home is.
One of my favorite scenes involves a sort of "gift of the magi" type exchange between Hulot's sister and brother-in-law. They each decide to get the other the most intimate gift they can imagine: the husband trades in the car for the most hideous watermelon-looking car I can imagine and the wife installs an automatic garage door so they will no longer have to open it by hand. Of course the entire plan backfires with hilarious results when they end up trapped in the garage and cannot get the automatic door to open.
If there is one flaw with Mon Oncle it is that the humor is so understated, many people will miss much of it completely. In many scenes there are many people on the screen simulataneously and you may not immediately catch the gags--but they're all there. Hulot's town is populated by ordinary people in ridiculous situations and Hulot himself seems to bumble from one mishap to another, yet always escape unscathed. Tati's humor is different from many films and may not be to the taste of some: there is no laugh track or self-conscious sense of "I just told a joke and now I'm making a funny face, so laugh!" Everything is dead-pan. I've had people tell me the film is boring but sometimes after I point out some of what is going on they'll really start to enjoy the film and want to watch it several times.
EXTRAS
The disc includes a "video introduction" by Monty Python alumnus Terry Jones. While Jones does a great job of pointing out how masterfully Tati executed these meticulous sight gags, I personally think this introduction is best saved for after an initial viewing of the film. Jones does a better job of illustrating important aspects of the film in a few minutes than many feature-length commentaries. It will add plenty of insight into how rich this film really is, but may not make all that much sense if one has never seen the film before.
Perhaps the biggest treat on this disc, however, is the inclusion of Tati's 1947 short film L'ecole des facteurs (School for Postmen). By including L'ecole des facteurs, Criterion has allowed Tati to introduce himself to the audience in a short but delightful romp that chronicles the day of a freshly graduated postman (Tati) who must deliver all of his mail and then get some of the mail to a plane on time. Perfectly choreographed mayhem ensues, in the tradition of great silent films, and the sight gags come in rapid succession. Tati exhibits great bicycle tricks and physical humor with his mail bag on his way to getting all of the mail "delivered," but he somehow manages to mess up each and every delivery so that the mail is either ruined or the recipient does not even know that the mail has been delivered. My favorite scene: Tati showing off his dance moves.
I like the colorful presentation of this film: the simple illustration on the cover with the bright red background suits Mon Oncle just fine. The menus are done in a similar light-hearted style.
AUDIO and VIDEO
The film is presented in a gorgeously colorful transfer in the original aspect ratio of 1.33:1. I can find almost no flaws in the transfer and the film seems to have aged very well.
The sound is mono, as is to be expected from a film of this age. Everything comes through just fine, however, which is important because so much of the film depends on sound effects such as the babbling of the hideous fish fountain. There is occasional dialog that is difficult to discern, but I think that is by design as they occur in shots where the speakers are far away or many things are happening on-screen at once. The subtitles seem very good.
MY TAKE
It's obvious that I like this film very much. It was a fairly blind purchase for me but has been one of the best DVD pleasures I've had in the past year. I pull Mon Oncle out every few weeks, especially if I feel stressed out. There is nothing better to set your mind at ease than a light-hearted romp through life with Mr. Hulot. From the opening credits painted on construction signs and in chalk on a brick wall, this film seems particularly inventive with its numerous sight gags and satirical jabs at everything modern. Before watching the main feature, spend a few minutes to watch L'ecole des Facteurs, which is a great treat and while certainly less sophisticated than Mon Oncle, it will give you a sense of the humor to come nonetheless. I would highly recommend Criterion's release of Mon Oncle to anyone.
05-22-02, 10:14 PM
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If you haven't yet, why don't you also check out criterions releases for "M. Hulot's Holiday" and "Playtime." They are a must if you like "Mon Oncle." It would have been better to see the progression over the three, but any which way they should all be seen.
These were also blind buys for me, but I am really happy with them. A style comedy that you don't see anymore.
These were also blind buys for me, but I am really happy with them. A style comedy that you don't see anymore.
05-23-02, 03:42 AM
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I have all three of these great films but for whatever reason Mon Oncle is my favorite, probably because i love the lampooning of corporate culture, the rise of suburbia and materialism. I find that M. Hulot's Holiday has some of my favorite gags (I almost wet myself just thinking of his boating adventure or changing the flat tire at the funeral) but it seems like by the time Tati made Mon Oncle he was better able to integrate those great gags into a more coherent film. It's just a matter of personal preference but as absurd as Mon Oncle is, it never seemed forced to me.
I also can't emphasize enough how happy I am that Criterion has put shorts with the movies. L'ecole des Facteurs is a great addition. It would've been very easy to leave it off and try to release "The Short Films of Jacques Tati" for another $30, but they didn't.
Edit: Thanks ArthrDgbySellers! Not only am I a big fan of your work on "Branded" but I just finished re-watching M. Hulot's Holiday and it's even funnier than I remembered.
I also can't emphasize enough how happy I am that Criterion has put shorts with the movies. L'ecole des Facteurs is a great addition. It would've been very easy to leave it off and try to release "The Short Films of Jacques Tati" for another $30, but they didn't.
Edit: Thanks ArthrDgbySellers! Not only am I a big fan of your work on "Branded" but I just finished re-watching M. Hulot's Holiday and it's even funnier than I remembered.
Last edited by Eeyore; 05-23-02 at 08:51 AM.
05-23-02, 04:13 AM
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Does anyone know the deal with Jour de Fete? I'd definitely be interested in seeing it but it doesn't seem to be available in region 1 at all (VHS or DVD). i think i heard once that it has distributor issues, but i can't remember what the problem was.
05-23-02, 08:53 AM
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I love the tennis game in M. Hulot's Holiday. 
Honestly, these are some of my favorites too, and they have some interesting ideas and use of camera as well.
Honestly, these are some of my favorites too, and they have some interesting ideas and use of camera as well.
05-23-02, 12:03 PM
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i think chapter 16 of M. Hulot's Holiday may now be my nomination for the funniest 10 minutes in film history. It has the wife giving shells to the husband who throws them right back in the water, Hulot waiting to go horseback riding, the parlor with crooked pictures, an animal pelt rug on his spurs, Hulot being attacked by the horse, a man stuck in the rumble seat of a car and then Hulot rescuing the taffy as he runs from the horse.
05-23-02, 01:00 PM
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Great review. Awesome film. And thanks for the reminder that I really need to pick up Holiday soon! The fish fountain in Mon Oncle has to be one of the funniest "characters" I've ever had the pleasure of watching.
06-05-02, 03:48 PM
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Originally posted by ArthrDgbySellrs
If you haven't yet, why don't you also check out criterions releases for "M. Hulot's Holiday" and "Playtime." They are a must if you like "Mon Oncle." It would have been better to see the progression over the three, but any which way they should all be seen.
These were also blind buys for me, but I am really happy with them. A style comedy that you don't see anymore.
If you haven't yet, why don't you also check out criterions releases for "M. Hulot's Holiday" and "Playtime." They are a must if you like "Mon Oncle." It would have been better to see the progression over the three, but any which way they should all be seen.
These were also blind buys for me, but I am really happy with them. A style comedy that you don't see anymore.
