Review of Mon Oncle (1958) by Amanda M — 11 Nov 2008

Three things that make any movie great are slapstick, a dachshund and a status symbol in the form of a fish fountain that spits water (but only when its owners are trying to impress visitors). Jacques Tati knew this and it is with this Monsieur Hulot film (between "M.

Hulot's Holiday" and "Playtime") that he firmly established the "no plot, lots of observational humor" structure. Yes, Hulot goes to work in a plastic hose factory, much to the dismay of his sister's husband who works there and yes, there are plot elements that contribute to character development (perhaps most notably in the young boy escaping his parents' modernist living through childish pranks) but overall, people get more mileage from windows that look like eyes, a watermelon-colored car, Hulot's house itself and other bizarre moments.