Mon oncle (1958)

Director:

Jacques Tati

Writers:

Jacques Lagrange (artistic collaboration) &
Jean L'Hôte (artistic collaboration) ...

Release Date:

3 November 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Mr. Hulot Ventures Into Suburbia...And Disrupts...Disassembles...And Demolishes With His Very Subtle Satire

Plot:

Monsieur Hulot visits the technology-driven world of his sister, brother-in-law, and nephew, but he can't quite fit into the surroundings.

Plot Keywords:

Factory | Uncle | New Automobile | Horse Cart | Comedy Of Manners

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 5 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Jacques Tati	...	Monsieur Hulot
Jean-Pierre Zola	...	Charles Arpel
Adrienne Servantie	...	Madame Arpel
Lucien Frégis	...	Monsieur Pichard (as Lucien Fregis)
Betty Schneider	...	Betty, Landlord's Daughter
Jean-François Martial	...	Walter (as J.F. Martial)
Dominique Marie	...	Neighbor
Yvonne Arnaud	...	Georgette, the Housekeeper
Adelaide Danieli	...	Madame Pichard
Alain Bécourt	...	Gerard Arpel (as Alain Becourt)
Régis Fontenay	...	Braces Dealer (as Regis Fontenay)
Claude Badolle	...	Flea Market Dealer
Max Martel	...	Drunken Man
Nicolas Bataille	...	Working Man

Also Known As:

Mio zio (Italy)

Runtime:

117 min | Spain:120 min

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

French

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:G | Finland:S | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | West Germany:6 | Singapore:PG | Portugal:M/6

Filming Locations:

Créteil, Val-de-Marne, France

Company:

Gaumont Distribution

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Perhaps this can be forgiven in such a whimsical comedy, but whenever M. Arpel parks his car in his tiny home garage, he always pulls in front-end first; however, whenever he leaves for work in the morning, the car always exits the garage front-end first. (Possibly a subtle sight gag on Tati's part?)

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Zomergasten: (#10.3)" (1997)

Tati's Masterpiece

I only recently discovered the work of Jacques Tati. As a fan of the great movie comedians-auteurs (Chaplin, Keaton, Brooks, Allen), I wanted to see Tati's work. So far, I have only seen PLAYTIME, MR. HULOT'S HOLIDAY and finally, just recently, MON ONCLE. I can easily say MON ONCLE is not only the greatest comedy of Tati, but also one of the finest comedies ever made. It is truly hilarious. I found MR. HULOT'S HOLIDAY to be just a bit slow at times, where I might find myself losing interest for a moment. PLAYTIME was a bit too "mainstream" with many big special effects and so on. But MON ONCLE is simple yet hilarious. For 117 minutes, Tati keeps the viewer in his own world of comedy. The ultra-modern house gadgets were hilarious, making for some very funny sight gags. Tati's Mr. Hulot character belongs in a gallery of great comic film personas, along with Chaplin's Little Tramp, Keaton's Great Stone Face, Allen's neurotic New Yorker, and Brooks' Jewish characterizations. MON ONCLE is also beautifully photographed in color, which adds a lighter touch to the comedy. I've noticed that Tati's films are unlike those of anyone else. The style is all his own.