#112 - Playtime

AND with this I think I'm going to have to pick up the Tati box set next time there's a 50% off sale at B&N - liking this guy too much

Playtime is our 3rd film and last Tati film for a while - this is a visual feast, (originally shot in 70mm) that takes our characters, including a return of Mr. Hulot, thru the absurdities of modern life.   It's shot on massive sets with some fascinating camera work and in shots where there's sometimes 2 or 3 things going on.

It's interesting that Tati has gone this direction now more or less for two films, and the character of Hulot, rather than instigating the chaos of the first film now seems more likely to be a pawn in it.

There's two hours of Hulot and tourists wandering from place to place - like the other two films there's less plot and more just an almost vaudeville approach to the scenes - in this case it came close to surrealism, I feel like, but all in good humor.   I decided when I had a choice I was gonna have to watch on the widescreen TV as I hear there's just too much that can be missed on a smaller screen and I'd love to see the blu-ray of course.

Two scenes really struck with me - I've made no secret of my love for France and Paris, and this film takes place in Paris, but the whole time the skyline is modern towers and buildings - in a kind of joke at one point the woman is looking at travel posters, and each one is dominated by the same monotholitc Grey Office Tower - US, Mexico, Paris, Hong Kong - a sort of joke and commentary on how modern architecture is destroying the character of these places.   But what really got me is when the tourists are looking at "Modern Paris" there is nothing to distinguish it as Paris except 3 or 4 times, when a glass door swings, and you see the reflection of a famous Paris Landmark in the window, like Sacre Coure, The Eiffel Tower, and so forth - sometimes the tourists swing around as if to catch a glimpse of a ghost.

My other favorite moment was when a waiter rips his pants, and has to hide outside on the balcony.   Soon other waiters with damaged clothing, - a ripped jacket, torn shoe, tie dipped in sauce, come out and swap with him so that by the time it's over, he looks like he crawled out of a wrecked building, with all his clothes ripped and tattered.

Def. going to be getting the blu-ray's at some point - This has been an enjoyable excursion with a new director.

Also there are a lot of special features - there's a lot to this movie, the set design, how all the chaos was engineered and shots made, and it's a pretty interesting thing to go thru when I have some more time

RB