More traditional than Play Time, but remarkably funny and lighthearted. Tati is the master of subtle slaptsick, favoring barely avoided calamity to the pratfall itself.
Probably one of the most pleasant ways to spend an hour and a half. Hulot is a gentleman but he's also a bumbler and watching him react to his own inadvertent chaos is very amusing, even laugh-out-loud funny at times. Tati's slapstick is only enhanced by his compositional sensibilities - the Keaton influence is obvious, but Hulot is a bit goofier and clumsy.
Not really my type of comedy, I guess. There's nothing really wrong with it, I chuckled a few times and the whole thing was pretty well paced and amusing enough, I just didn't find it especially funny.
Slapstick comedy at its best. Especially chain of events type gags were fabulous. Great characterization and lovly shoots. I expected a very good movie but stumbled upon a great one. Definitely, not aged one bit.
The closing frames are so remarkably fitting, because this really is a ninety minute postcard. We know so little about these characters, even Hulot himself, but by the end we feel like we're right there on vacation with them. It's amusing and entertaining, heartwarming and a bit bittersweet, and it leaves you hoping so much that when these characters say they'll be returning the following year, that they truly mean it.
It's pretty cool to watch the evolution of Tati's craft from this film to Playtime -- how he honed more and more in on the essence of his style. He had his style down pretty good even at this point, though. Like the films that followed it, Mr. Hulot's Holiday offers a mood and ambiance that you can't find anywhere else. My only regret is that I've still only watched these films on far too small screens to get the full experience.
Though Hulot is a great, Chaplinesque character who serves a lot of laughs, the real star of this film is the rest of society, in which everyone is a bumbling idiot. Unconventional in its lack of plot. It's more of a showcase of the ridiculous world that Tati creates.
Hilarious slapstick, and just general chaplinesque comedy are abound in this extremely funny work by Jacques Tati. Mr. Hulot's Holiday follows around the title character Mr. Hulot through some ridiculous and almost unbearably embarassing situations whilst on his holiday on the beach. The character of Mr. Hulot is half Charlie Chaplin, and half Mr. Bean. He is an extremely fun character, and one I appreciate, but there are times in this film when it felt really dull, but generally well done!
Although Holiday marks the debut of Tati's Mr. Hulot character, this film is not so much about his breezy slapstick antics as it is about the quirky charms of humanity that go unnoticed every day. Holiday is not an uproarious comedy, nor does it need to be. Mr. Hulot brings us along with him on vacation not simply to laugh, but to make us fall in love with the foibles of human nature all over again.
There were a couple of funny gags, but for the most part it felt like a bad Chaplin impression; every time that damn door opened and closed I wanted to punch something.
This film is just too beautiful for words. A lighthearted slapstick piece that belies Tati's later, more socially minded work, its' beauty comes in the simplicity, from the minimalist script (the film is instead bolstered by fantastic music and sound effects) to the friendly, benevolent tone. Even at his absolute worst Hulot is nowhere near a malicious character. Fantastic, and an absolute must-see for anyone who cares even slightly about movies.
A bit Chaplin and a bit Keaton, Hulot's clumsy obliviousness continually gets him into and out of trouble. What makes this film unique is its tranquil mood. Hulot brings the audience on holiday with him, the pace is gentle and peaceful, only approaching mania in the explosive climax (and even then, done with a degree of tasteful restraint). There's almost no dialogue, no plot, no sense of forward movement. It's a series of beautiful, comic postcards. The recurring musical theme is lovely too.
A return to the styles of silent comedy. Subtle and delightful, as good as a real vacation. Mr. Hulot is both a tribute to the great silent clowns, and a delightful clown in his own right, whose heroism lies not in derring-do but in quiet nobility. Watch this movie and gain some new friends.