Rating: 
Summary: A Comedy Gem !
Review: It is now 50 years since this marvellous comedy was released, and it remains as fresh and original as ever. With so many other comments, I should not need to tell readers that Tati is a comic genius, and a keen observer of the human condition. Time marches on, but--in many ways--people, whether they are children, adults, even senior citizens, do not change.This film has many great sequences--even if you have seen it before, and know what is about to happen, you cannot help but smile and laugh at M. Hulot and his fellow vacationers. Tati was one of the most inventive minds in the history of comedic film--your collection is the poorer without this masterpiece !
Rating:
Summary: The Wonderful Mr. Hulot
Review: Jacques Tati's Monsieur Hulot has been compared to Mr. Bean and Charlie Chaplin and that's not a bad comparision. Tati has said that he patterned Mr. Hulot after Buster Keaton and that's closer, but he has put his own spin on the character Mr. Hulot. Mr. Hulot's Holiday is a good place to start admiring Jacques Tati's Mr. Hulot films but they are all great, all full of sight gags and observations on human nature. Mr. Hulot wanders and blunders through his holiday like a big kid observing, but not even trying to understand the odd behavior of the adults around him. The sight gags are fabulous, often leaving Mr. Hulot wondering how did this get from here to there or how did that happen. If you blink you will have to watch the film again to catch what you have missed. There is very little dialog - Jacques Tati was an aficinado of silent films - so if you do not like watching a subtitled film don't be put off. And don't be put off by the statement: "non-American" humor, this is funny stuff. Jacques Tati is one of the great comics. All the Mr. Holot films are equally brilliant; they will leave you smiling, laughing, and ocassionally - as when Mr. Hulot is trying to put out a fire in a shed full of fireworks - gasping for air.
Rating:
Summary: Clumsy comedy
Review: Mr. Hulot is a funny guy. He has this run down car that has a horn that makes meowing noises that he takes to a hotel by the beach for a vacation. While he's there, he does a lot of funny things. One part I liked was when he was kayaking and the kayak broke in half and then he was sandwiched between the two parts. He kept on lifting up the top and closing it, making himself look like a sea monster and everyone on the beach was scared and they ran away. He is a guy who doesn't behave like the others who are staying at the hotel. They are busy talking about the news and playing cards while he's listening to music. One time he helped this boy carry his things up a hill. Everyone congratulated him for making it to the top and then they offered him a drink. He took the cup and arched his back and he fell down the hill. If you like comedy, you'll definitely like this one.
Rating:
Summary: Subtle and funny......
Review: My husband and I enjoyed MR HULOT'S VACATION very much. Although the film has been described elsewhere as slapstick, I don't think it is -- though there are a few scenes that made me laugh like crazy. VACATION is an intelligent and subltle film that does not depend on clever dialogue, in fact there is very little dialogue, though the film is not silent. The comparison with Mr. Bean is a good one, but Tati is not Roland Atkins any more than Buster Keaton was Charlie Chaplin. In fact, Tati falls somewhere in between Chaplin and Atkins, neither as clumsy or pitiable as the former nor as socially inept as the latter. In fact, Mr. Hulot seems an average sort of guy who experiences more than his share of the odd experiences that can and do happen to everyone. Mr. Hulot appeals because we can identify with him. For example, Mr. Hulot has problems with his car. Well, I once owned a car I could not get out of second gear. Since the mechanic could not fix it for a price I could afford, I drove it very slowly. My mother owned a car that flicked on the windshield wipers and headlights every time she hit a bump. She had to hit another bump to turn them off. My husband had an old MG with a rusted floorboard. As you rode along you could see the pavement underneath the car. We gave it to my daughter and she traded it for a bicycle. Mr. Hulot's experiences with his car don't seem odd to me, and they make me laugh in recognition. Chaplin was always center stage and to a certain extent Atkins is seldom out of the frame either. However, Mr Hulot shares the stage with an assortment of people some might call eccentric. In fact, the folks in VACATION remind me of the people who populate my own world. I am not unique, however, I am observant, and one of the things I like about Tati is that he recognizes each person is an individual and that each has interesting experiences that are occasionally funny. As Mr. Bennet says in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, "but for what do we exist except to amuse others and they in their turn to amuse us." Humor is in the eye of the beholder. Tati simply makes it obvious that people are funny. Like Mr. Bean, Mr. Hulot blithely moves about unconscious of the havoc he leaves in his wake, but all of us cause havoc somewhere at some point and are unaware of it. Sometimes it's serious havoc. Have you never seen near accidents on the highway where the "cause" goes merrily on his way? Of course some accidents are bad, but often accidents are funny. Unlike Mr. Bean, Mr. Hulot does not seem to be lonely. He actually has a nice time with the beautiful blonde--well he mostly does, but if he fails to connect on an occasion or two it's not for lack of interest on her part. And, Mr. Hulot is quite a good tennis player who makes a friend of the tennis coach (and impresses the blonde). Probably the thing I enjoyed the most about this film was the context. What is it about vacations that brings out insanity?? The opening scenes as everyone heads to the beach are hilarious. I too have nearly missed trains in Europe from being on the wrong side of the track. However, there are some wonderful tranquill scenes too. The sound of the waves pounding the surf at night under a full moon, and the clear sunny sky by day, as well as the happy mood of the vactioners--especially the children--is enough to put anyone in a good mood. I love this little film and I'm going to watch it over and over. I'll buy more Tati DVDs too, since I don't have a car payment to worry about.
Rating: 
Summary: Too much editing in this version
Review: Sadly, this is an edited version that cuts many wonderful scenes that were in the original French version. Still good but not as good as the uncut film.
Rating:
Summary: A Real Gem
Review: The comedic genius that was Jacques Tati is that rare type that can make you laugh at life's simple things while also giving the viewer poignant views of the every day. His humor is not mean spirited but finds humor in all the things and people around us. "M.Hulot's Holiday" takes us to a French seaside resort. Not the flashy places mind you but the kind of place the folks who drive your bus or sells you your groceries would go to. There are the occasional types who think they are above the rest but all are really on the same level. The husband of one of those later types carries out a quiet rebellion with subtle bits of sabotage throughout the film. Into this mix comes Hulot in a car that is an insurance adjuster's nightmare. Hulot goes through his vacation leaving little bits of chaos behind him. A fireworks display that turns into a minor world war or a simple boat trip that turns into a prequel for "Jaws". The film is mostly in French with subtitles but don't let that put you off because there is not too much dialogue. Tati's humor is mostly visual and it speaks volumes. Some of the vacationers are British and they speak English. There is an alternate all English track that was supervised by Tati but as I said the dialogue is so sparse its not worth it. The film has been restored to its pristine condition and an early short film with Tati is also included. If you are tired of alleged comedies that think shouting at you and using curse words constitutes being funny than go on a little vacation with Hulot. Despite the death trap car you'll have a wonderful time.
Rating:
Summary: A Special Time Recaptured
Review: The other reviews here accurately relate the special comic qualities of this film. Subtle, perceptive and often laugh out loud. But be also aware that this film captures the innocence and promise of a postwar France that is gone forever. And, Mr. Tati's sensitivity to the frailties of the human condition is captured affectionately. More than a comedy, it is a lesson in life to share with the entire family. After all, he seems to be saying, "...no one gets out of this alive. Let's be bemused!"
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, near-silent french film of bumbler's adventures
Review: There are two versions of this film: the first with a soothing background music, done in french, and the second with a jazzier score, done by Tati two years later. The original, tho' hard to find, is a better film. Thoroughly delightful tale of an everyman bumbler who takes his yearly vacation at the beach, and adversely affects all those around him. He manages to draw affection from some of those he meets, including the film audience. Tati was a genius at the study of human nature, and a superb director of film.
Rating:
Summary: A film full of magic.
Review: There is no plot to this film, we just follow the adventures of Mr Hulot on a short holiday to a Breton seaside resort in the immediate post-war years. He is joined there, for what is best described as a fictional fly on the wall doucmentary, by exactly the sort of disparate crowd that you would expect to meet on such a holiday. Almost bereft of dialogue and filmed in black and white, we see Hulot involved in a series of adventures and misadventures. In a way, the film is like an early fifties version of Mr Bean but Hulot's reaction to every mishap is a Gallic shrug and a happy disposition which always rubs off on those around him. The humour is a mixture of surreal, slapstick and irony and, despite the relaxed atmosphere of the film, there is always something happenning. There is no moment without some visual or audio gag somewhere. Despite this relentless stream, there is great balance in the film. You never feel that there is too much of something or that a certain point has been pushed too far. Great comedy always needs that kind of restraint and flawless timing. This is the first and certainly the best of the Mr Hulot films. The later ones never recaptured the same sense of innocent whimsy. This film stands out as one of the funniest movies ever made.
Rating:
Summary: Charming, Subtle Comedy
Review: This film excels in creating a charming, relaxed mood for its subtle slapstick. In a way, it's reminiscent of those early Chaplin films made quickly in a park on a beautiful sunny day. This film differs in that the mood is more relaxed, and less frentic, than early Sennett films. The lovely seaside scenery, the easy-going jazz score, the easy-going pace, and the inventive gags will charm you to no end if you're in the right mood. The bonus short is also quite fun.
| 
