Rating: 
Summary: childhood memory still makes me laugh
Review: I saw this movie when I was a small child and have carried the memory of one or two scenes from it ever since. I wasn't even sure what the name of it was until I saw a glimpse of a promo for it on one of the cable channels some years ago. I knew this was the right movie when I read the review by the viewer from the Netherlands describing the smashing of the coffee bowl in the kitchen. The memory of that bouncing pitcher and then the accidental smashing of the next thing picked up is the one thing I remembered most clearly after over 40 years. It still makes me laugh to think of it. I look forward to seeing this funny movie again.
Rating: 
Summary: My favorite movie....
Review: I suppose I am out of touch with "the 90s" in that I detest movies where most of the jokes are based on bodily functions. (Flatulence jokes just aren't funny to me.) I love Mon Oncle because it is a physical comedy - in fact, there is extremely little dialog - and yet it is not insulting to the intelligence. Jacques Tati (one of the great comedians) is M. Hulot, an enigmatic, silent man who lives a quiet, calm life. Dismayed and uncomprehending of his sister's "moderne" life, Hulot strikes up a friendship with his nephew. Some of the best scenes are when the boy leaves his sterile, plastic "hygenic" world for the more earthy but enjoyable world that Hulot occupies (it is as if a small piece of Old France is hanging on in the middle of Paris - the old butcher shops, the cobbled streets). The boy's mother cannot understand why her son would prefer "old things" to the new, modern style. There is a lot of humor in the movie - lots of Keaton-esque sight gags when Hulot tries to deal with the modern appliances in his sister's house - but underneath the humor there is a sweetness and a yearning and a recognition that the new ways aren't always better than the old. This is a movie with humor and heart. True, it is more slow-paced than recent comedies (which may be what the reviewer who thought it "THE MOST BORING MOVIE" was used to), but if you allow yourself to relax and appreciate the slow pace, it's a beautiful and brilliant movie. The adjective "Zen-like" is most overused today, or else I would describe watching this movie as a "Zen-like" experience. It got into my mind and changed me. And I am not a fan of movies, there are very few I like enough to watch through once, let alone repeatedly.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite movie....
Review: I suppose I am out of touch with "the 90s" in that I detest movies where most of the jokes are based on bodily functions. (Flatulence jokes just aren't funny to me.) I love Mon Oncle because it is a physical comedy - in fact, there is extremely little dialog - and yet it is not insulting to the intelligence. Jacques Tati (one of the great comedians) is M. Hulot, an enigmatic, silent man who lives a quiet, calm life. Dismayed and uncomprehending of his sister's "moderne" life, Hulot strikes up a friendship with his nephew. Some of the best scenes are when the boy leaves his sterile, plastic "hygenic" world for the more earthy but enjoyable world that Hulot occupies (it is as if a small piece of Old France is hanging on in the middle of Paris - the old butcher shops, the cobbled streets). The boy's mother cannot understand why her son would prefer "old things" to the new, modern style. There is a lot of humor in the movie - lots of Keaton-esque sight gags when Hulot tries to deal with the modern appliances in his sister's house - but underneath the humor there is a sweetness and a yearning and a recognition that the new ways aren't always better than the old. This is a movie with humor and heart. True, it is more slow-paced than recent comedies (which may be what the reviewer who thought it "THE MOST BORING MOVIE" was used to), but if you allow yourself to relax and appreciate the slow pace, it's a beautiful and brilliant movie. The adjective "Zen-like" is most overused today, or else I would describe watching this movie as a "Zen-like" experience. It got into my mind and changed me. And I am not a fan of movies, there are very few I like enough to watch through once, let alone repeatedly.
Rating:
Summary: Human unrelations satirized perfectly
Review: I watched this film after seeing my wife's all time favorite, Les Vacances Monsieur Hulot. Bumbling slapstick, nearly as silent film, is used to parodize the era of the happy middleclass housewife of the fifties with all her new appliances, her husband with all his gadgets, and to throw sarcasm at efficient production at the expense of human relations. I don't know of a film that does a better job of this. the ending is happy, with the absent gadget-focused father finally discovering the joy of having a playful young son.
Rating:
Summary: If you like it, you'll love it
Review: I've seen this movie a couple of times, and i still love it, especcially when the uncle thinks the cofee bowl is as high-tech as the rest of the house, and he drops it on the ground and it goes in pieces. Not your every day movie, with a very special kind of humor, but if you like it: you'll love it. I know i do Marco
Rating:
Summary: Les deux Frances: urban jungle and the romantic village
Review: In Jacques Tati's Mon Oncle, the sequel to Monsieur Hulot's Holiday, we meet the Arpels, who are scheduled, gadget-happy, ultramodern technology-obsessed in a classical effort to keep themselves ahead of les Joneses. Upwardly mobile doesn't even begin to describe them. Madame Arpel is so obsessed in keeping everything dust free, that at one point in the movie, she brushes her husband's suit, briefcase, and hat as he is walking to his car. She even polishes the car door handle after he gets inside. She waves after the departing car, a cloud of dust issuing from her dustrag. In contrast, Madame Arpel's brother, the tall and gangly Monsieur Hulot (played by Jacques Tati), lives in a village square area where humanity is abuzz. There's the street sweeper, who never gets done because someone's always striking up a conversation with him. And there's a girl, not yet a woman, who seems to have a crush on Monsieur Hulot. Chez Margot, the cafe there, seems to be a haven, where someone says, "Come on in, have a drink and a chat" and people come out feeling wonderful. The tall, gangling Hulot is a bumbler, unintentionedly so, but he's a nice guy. He gives candy to the girl standing at the door of his apartment building, he goes in for drinks at the pub, he picks up his young nephew Gerard from school and indulgently lets him play games that gets him dirty or in trouble if he were to get caught. Hulot is clearly uncomfortable being at his sister and brother-in-law's house. Gerard, to the chagrin of his father, enjoys being with his uncle because he is allowed to be free, unshackled from his parents' lifeless, repressive, antiseptic, technological household. Once with his uncle, he plays pranks on people with the other kids, and enjoys crullers with sugar and jam from the local vendor. This is clearly a struggle between two values: the technological progressives and the romantic conservatives. The contrast between the cold, antiseptic, technologically advanced home of the Arpels, and the lively simplicity of Monsieur Hulot's neighborhood. But it's also one of transition and change, of the change France underwent post-industrial change after the war. Gerard undergoes change, as does the girl who likes Hulot. There is a party scene that demonstrates how chaos in an ordered system can quickly cause that system to degenerate. At the party, Arpel decides to give his brother-in-law a chance at the plastic factory, which is probably not the best career decision a supervisor could make. Mon Oncle is also full of sight and sound gags, (hey, it's a comedy after all) such as the funny gargling fish fountain and the click-clack of the factory floor secretary and the swinging motion of her body. Other people laugh in funny ways, such as Madame Pichard, the wife of Arpel's plant manager. She seems a silly goose but at least she seems fun. And then there's the idyllic jazz score of piano and accordion, which permeates throughout the movie. What can I say? A tried and truly enjoyable classic. Jacques Tati clearly favoured the old-fashioned village life as opposed to the concrete, steel, and plastic jungle. To conclude, Mr. Arpel says at one point that it's time for his brother-in-law to stop dreaming and get to work. Well, keep on dreaming, Monsieur Hulot and be yourself!
Rating:
Summary: Tati's Wise and Wonderful Comedy.
Review: In looking at the other reviews of "Mon Oncle", it would seem that people either love or hate this movie. From my 5-star rating, you can see that I am in the former category. I fail to understand how a film can be called boring, when it is so full of life, and witty observations. Rather than feeling that it was too long, I was sorry when it was over. In "Mon Oncle", the well-meaning, but dim-witted M. Hulot comes face to face with modern living and technology. His brother-in-law is an affluent executive with a plastics company, and owns a state-of-the-art home, full of amazing gadgets. The house is also a tasteless nightmare, devoid of warmth and comfort, with a "garden" to match. You will not soon forget the atrocious fountain, with a huge, metal fish spewing water into the air--but only to impress important guests, of course. In this concrete monstrosity, the couple are also attempting to raise a small boy, who understandably has more fun away from the place, with his uncle Hulot. Tati is constantly contrasting old-fashioned, small-town life with urban "progress". In addition to the "house from hell", we see the huge, boring factory where Hulot's brother-in-law works, and where he tries, with hilarious lack of success, to land M. Hulot a job. Meanwhile, back at the ranch--er house--we have the outdoor party scene, with a bizarre group of co-workers and neighbours desperately trying to look important and convivial. Of course, Hulot unwittingly undermines the whole celebration, with a little help from that hideous fountain. There are a number of scenes of children being--well--children--playing tricks on unsuspecting people. Some scene-stealing dogs are also part of the mix. The DVD is impressive--colours are excellent--the sound naturally is mono. There is a touching introduction by Terry Jones, the well-known director and Monty Python graduate. Also included is an early short film with Tati called "School for Postmen" which is very amusing--a nice bonus. For those people who consider "Mon Oncle" to be a comedy masterpiece, I agree completely. If you like Tati and his unforgettable creation, M. Hulot, this disc has to be in your collection.
Rating:
Summary: Tati's Wise and Wonderful Comedy.
Review: In looking at the other reviews of "Mon Oncle", it would seem that people either love or hate this movie. From my 5-star rating, you can see that I am in the former category. I fail to understand how a film can be called boring, when it is so full of life, and witty observations. Rather than feeling that it was too long, I was sorry when it was over. In "Mon Oncle", the well-meaning, but dim-witted M. Hulot comes face to face with modern living and technology. His brother-in-law is an affluent executive with a plastics company, and owns a state-of-the-art home, full of amazing gadgets. The house is also a tasteless nightmare, devoid of warmth and comfort, with a "garden" to match. You will not soon forget the atrocious fountain, with a huge, metal fish spewing water into the air--but only to impress important guests, of course. In this concrete monstrosity, the couple are also attempting to raise a small boy, who understandably has more fun away from the place, with his uncle Hulot. Tati is constantly contrasting old-fashioned, small-town life with urban "progress". In addition to the "house from hell", we see the huge, boring factory where Hulot's brother-in-law works, and where he tries, with hilarious lack of success, to land M. Hulot a job. Meanwhile, back at the ranch--er house--we have the outdoor party scene, with a bizarre group of co-workers and neighbours desperately trying to look important and convivial. Of course, Hulot unwittingly undermines the whole celebration, with a little help from that hideous fountain. There are a number of scenes of children being--well--children--playing tricks on unsuspecting people. Some scene-stealing dogs are also part of the mix. The DVD is impressive--colours are excellent--the sound naturally is mono. There is a touching introduction by Terry Jones, the well-known director and Monty Python graduate. Also included is an early short film with Tati called "School for Postmen" which is very amusing--a nice bonus. For those people who consider "Mon Oncle" to be a comedy masterpiece, I agree completely. If you like Tati and his unforgettable creation, M. Hulot, this disc has to be in your collection.
Rating:
Summary: Funny, But a Notch Below "Mr. Hulot's Holiday"
Review: Jacques Tati recreates the character of Mr. Hulot from "Mr. Hulot's Holiday" and has him visit his sister and brother-in-law and nephew. His relatives live in an ultra-modern home full of gadgets, and his brother-in-law works at or owns a modern factory. Hulot again blunders obliviously through scene after scene, benignly causing havoc and frustrating the other adults, while earning the admiration and love of his somewhat-neglected nephew. This is a funny movie, with many easy-to-miss sight gags mixed with obvious slapstick. However, it is less consistently funny and has a few more slow spots than Tati's masterpiece, "Mr. Hulot's Holiday".
Rating:
Summary: It's the theme song.
Review: Just as the other reviewers, I too saw this film as a teenager in Canada over fourty years ago. Not a year has gone by but that the music hasn't run through my mind. Simply an exceptional movie. Two years ago I met an exchange student from Nantes, a senior in high school, and she told me she had never heard of Jacques Tati. Quel dommage!
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