{"id":92415,"date":"2023-10-10T11:50:54","date_gmt":"2023-10-10T18:50:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=92415"},"modified":"2023-10-10T11:50:54","modified_gmt":"2023-10-10T18:50:54","slug":"playtime-1967","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=92415","title":{"rendered":"Playtime (1967)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Can&#8217;t a guy have a little fun?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Poster-197x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"197\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-92416\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Poster-197x300.png 197w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Poster-84x128.png 84w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Poster-178x270.png 178w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Poster.png 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 197px) 100vw, 197px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nAs a group of American tourists descend upon Paris, Mr. Hulot (Jacques Tati) makes his way through the increasingly modernized and mechanized city.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Comedy<\/li>\n<li>Jacques Tati Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nJacques Tati&#8217;s fourth feature-length film &#8212; after <a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=80428\"><em>Jour de Fete<\/em> (1949)<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=2339\"><em>Mr. Hulot&#8217;s Holiday<\/em> (1953)<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=82472\"><em>Mon Oncle<\/em> (1958)<\/a> &#8212; was this enormously budgeted spectacle (the most expensive made in France to that date) which lost money and bankrupted Tati, yet remains <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/IpqxW2Ja2Tw?si=cZqkyc96M7JA4nQc\">a personal favorite for many<\/a>. Because I&#8217;m not a Tati fan, I&#8217;ll cite extensively from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s249tati.html\">DVD Savant<\/a>, who in his review seems similarly attempting to make sense of a film which perhaps he appreciates more than enjoys. He notes: <\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;<em>Playtime<\/em> is as subversive and important as anything in the French New Wave.  It&#8217;s a completely uncompromised, lavishly filmed vision as personal as anything by David Lean or Stanley Kubrick.  Since it&#8217;s so clearly aimed at its own inspiration and not the box office, Tati grows in the mind as one of the most pure cinema artists that ever was.  It&#8217;s indescribable, baffling, and definitely not a mass-audience movie, yet it was shot in 70mm!&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Offices.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Offices-1024x543.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"339\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-92426\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Offices-1024x543.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Offices-300x159.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Offices-128x68.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Offices-768x407.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Offices-509x270.png 509w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Offices.png 1292w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>In terms of plot &#8212; what plot? Who needs one? Writing in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.criterion.com\/current\/posts\/1680-playtime-things-fall-apart-beautifully\">his essay for Criterion<\/a>, David Cairns refers to this film&#8217;s plot as &#8220;slender to the point of deniability.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Restaurant-Dancing.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Restaurant-Dancing-1024x544.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"340\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-92427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Restaurant-Dancing-1024x544.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Restaurant-Dancing-300x159.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Restaurant-Dancing-128x68.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Restaurant-Dancing-768x408.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Restaurant-Dancing-508x270.png 508w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Restaurant-Dancing.png 1287w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, DVD Savant explains: <\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;The shots are always very wide and open to the possibilities of action and development from any direction.  Hulot is the ostensible main subject, but he&#8217;s as randomly observed as anyone else in the show.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Restaurant.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Restaurant-1024x547.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"342\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-92432\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Restaurant-1024x547.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Restaurant-300x160.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Restaurant-128x68.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Restaurant-768x410.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Restaurant-505x270.png 505w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Restaurant.png 1286w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Droll humor is the most we get: very often there&#8217;s nothing funny about what&#8217;s going on and Savant is sure that many a 1967 audience felt they were the victims of a colossal private joke. Movies that are private jokes, almost always become known by their other name, failures, and whether or not <em>Playtime<\/em> succeeds will depend on your inclination toward humor that is more conceptual than overt, and droller than droll.  There are mistaken-identity gags, frustration gags, the works, but it all exists within this &#8216;you have to find it for yourself&#8217; world that will either delight the viewer or bore him silly.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Eiffel-Tower.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Eiffel-Tower-1024x552.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"345\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-92425\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Eiffel-Tower-1024x552.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Eiffel-Tower-300x162.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Eiffel-Tower-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Eiffel-Tower-768x414.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Eiffel-Tower-501x270.png 501w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Eiffel-Tower.png 1289w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>He adds, &#8220;In <em>Playtime<\/em> Tati shows us our world in transition, without making it into a dysfunctional nightmare, as in Godard&#8217;s Science Fiction comic book of a movie [<a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=83921\"><em>Alphaville<\/em> (1965)<\/a>].  People adapt, every place that has happiness is magical, and the film ends with another crowded airport.  This one transforms into a giant mechanized whimsical carousel.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Merry-Go-Round.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Merry-Go-Round-1024x546.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"341\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-92420\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Merry-Go-Round-1024x546.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Merry-Go-Round-300x160.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Merry-Go-Round-128x68.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Merry-Go-Round-768x409.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Merry-Go-Round-507x270.png 507w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Merry-Go-Round.png 1289w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a> <\/p>\n<p>For an enjoyable primer on visual gags in Tati&#8217;s films, <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/2AZ0I6tFvgg?si=M9oJoNItBbCXfsQh\">click here<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Truly impressive sets<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Falling-Apart.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Falling-Apart-1024x555.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"347\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-92428\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Falling-Apart-1024x555.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Falling-Apart-300x163.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Falling-Apart-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Falling-Apart-768x416.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Falling-Apart-498x270.png 498w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Falling-Apart.png 1283w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Watching-TV.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Watching-TV-1024x638.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"399\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-92429\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Watching-TV-1024x638.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Watching-TV-300x187.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Watching-TV-128x80.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Watching-TV-768x478.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Watching-TV-1536x957.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Watching-TV-433x270.png 433w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Playtime-Watching-TV.png 1904w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo, though most film fanatics will naturally be very curious to check it out &#8212; and probably should, once. Listed as a film with Historical Relevance and a Cult Movie in the back of Peary&#8217;s book. <\/p>\n<p> (<span style=\"color:red;font-weight:bold;\">Listed in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-static\/1001Movies.htm\"><em>1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die<\/em><\/a><\/span>) <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0062136\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.qnetwork.com\/review\/3171\">Q Network Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.timeout.com\/movies\/playtime\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thespinningimage.co.uk\/cultfilms\/displaycultfilm.asp?reviewid=1419\">Spinning Image Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.criterion.com\/current\/posts\/1680-playtime-things-fall-apart-beautifully\">Criterion Essay <\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s249tati.html\">DVD Savant Review (scroll down to third review)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Can&#8217;t a guy have a little fun?&#8221; Synopsis: As a group of American tourists descend upon Paris, Mr. Hulot (Jacques Tati) makes his way through the increasingly modernized and mechanized city. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Comedy Jacques Tati Films Review: Jacques Tati&#8217;s fourth feature-length film &#8212; after Jour de Fete (1949), Mr. Hulot&#8217;s Holiday (1953), and Mon Oncle (1958) &#8212; was this enormously budgeted spectacle (the most expensive made in France to that date) which lost money and bankrupted&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=92415\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-92415","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92415","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=92415"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92415\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":92434,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92415\/revisions\/92434"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=92415"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=92415"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=92415"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}