leethomas-11621 Whole tracts in which M. Hulot doesn't appear. Not as inspired as other Tati films. Main achievement is in precision and coordination of set-ups. Long takes are remarkably staged. Continuity of restaurant tableau is amazing. I would love to like this more, especially as whole enterprise bankrupted Tati. But by this stage Tati had been working with this genre and theme for 20 years so maybe he had said all he had to say. Amazingly, wardrobe, makeup, colours, etc. have not obviously aged except for odd hairstyle. Very classical look.

Josh Maxim Okay, let me point out that the only reason this has spoilers is there is no plat, so if you are looking at this review, be warned, the third quarter may be spoiled.Tati's PlayTime to me, is a comedy that has nothing to poke fun at except ourselves. It is the story of how we evolved and how, we are too dependent upon technology and the world around us. One scene in particular to describe this is the scene were Hulot enters the building, and the old man says these thingamajigs aren't helping us out. Tati found that this was comedy, the older gentleman has trouble with the approaching world.The whole film takes place, as we are supposed to believe, is a 24 hour time period about the lives of M. Hulot (or is it a decoy) and the lives of a bunch of American Tourists. While the tourists navigate throughout the bustling streets of modern day Paris, Hulot tries to meet for an interview of some sorts. Well, in the chaos of all this technology, Hulot manages to get lost and give up. Meanwhile, the tourists are just wrapping up at an exhibition for a tech show (if there is a theme, it is the world Technology). After the exhibition wraps up, Hulot meets and old friend in a very suggestive scene. From there he walks at night around Paris and stumbles upon a gentleman he was looking for in the morning. After this encounter, Hulot enters a restaurant on its opening night, which has everything going wrong. Hulot meets one of the tourists while dancing, and wrecking havoc upon the restaurant. They party till dawn where they enter a shop, where Hulot buys the tourist a gift. He doesn't say who it is from, and she leaves, whilst Hulot moves on.The ending just speaks brilliant. It is a photograph f our time, the time that is washing away. Tati walks out at the end, and in real life, he walked out on a lot of things at this time.Tati was broke, sold every film he owned, and made no money on it. If there is ever a story of dedication to the art, it is Tati's story. He is a man that reaches no boundaries, and PlayTime is the high point in that boundary. It is one of my favorite films of all time, and I enjoy after multiple viewings. It speaks to all, and our world. When will we realize technology is bad and not good.

gavin6942 Monsieur Hulot (Jacques Tati) curiously wanders around a high-tech Paris, paralleling a trip with a group of American tourists. Meanwhile, a nightclub/restaurant prepares its opening night, but it is still under construction."Playtime" is notable for its enormous set, which Tati had built specially for the film, as well as Tati's trademark use of subtle, yet complex visual comedy supported by creative sound effects; dialogue is frequently reduced to the level of background noise.The office set anticipated the dominance of office cubicle arrangements by some twenty years. The set was redressed for the trade exhibition sequence. Tati wanted the film to be in color but look like it was filmed in black and white. He succeeded.This is a great film. With or without the plot, with or without the comedy, it is great on the architecture alone. Few films really capture "architecture" in them, with only one other coming to mind: "Metropolis". That is how rare this film is, being the first of its kind in forty years.

Jackson Booth-Millard I knew about this French film when I saw it listed in the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die book, it was the last in the book from director Jacques Tati (Monsieur Hulot's Holiday), and another follow up from Mon Oncle, featuring his most popular character. Basically, set in Paris, six sequences structure the story, as in the course of one day American Tourist (Barbara Dennek), visiting with a group of mostly middle-aged American women, and befuddled Monsieur Hulot (Jacques Tati), the Frenchman lost in the modern city, these two characters repeatedly encounter each other. These sequences are at Orly Airport when the American tourists arrive, a series of large glass and steel buildings where Monsieur Hulot has an office meeting, he and the tourists go to a trade exhibition seeing the latest gadgets, from the street Hulot goes into an apartment building, he encounters several previously met characters at the Royal Gardens, and before the American Tourist leaves he buys her some memento gifts at the carousel of cars. Of course all of these events are filled with chaotic moments and amusing fumbles, but that is what we have come to expect from the bumbling Frenchman. Also starring Rita Maiden as Mr. Schultz's Companion, Jacqueline Lecomte as Young Tourist's Friend, Valérie Camille as Mr. Lacs's Secretary, France Rumilly as Woman Selling Eyeglasses and France Delahalle as Shopper in Department Store. As with the other two films he appeared in Tati is still likable with his comic creation, apparently the film was meant to be longer, to me it is fine the length it is, and also the director supposedly took ten years to make this film, leaving him near broke, interesting considering how little happens, but if you consider interesting technical decisions and tricks it adds up, a worthwhile enough satirical comedy. Very good!