Cinema
Mon oncle
Jacques Tati · 1958
Synopsis
Monsieur Hulot, a dreamer without a job, lives in an old working-class neighbourhood. His sister and brother-in-law, the Arpels, live in a modern, geometric villa full of appliances. Their son Gérard, nine years old, is bored there and prefers the hours spent with his uncle. M. Arpel, who runs a plastic pipe factory, gets Hulot a job at the factory, and the couple also try to have him meet a neighbour.
Context
The sets, designed by Jacques Lagrange, were built in 1956 at the Victorine studios, near Nice. It is Tati's first colour film, in which he himself reprises the role of Hulot. An English version, a few minutes shorter and released under the title My Uncle, was shot at the same time as the French version. The film was released in France on 10 May 1958; the comedy works through gestures and noises more than through dialogue.
Who it is for
One hundred and sixteen minutes in the French version, almost without dialogue; it can be followed easily at any age, through the eyes.
Prizes and reception
Special Jury Prize at Cannes in 1958, then the Oscar for best foreign-language film and the New York critics' prize.
Sources for this page 7
The pages consulted to check this page.