After his acclaimed directorial debut Jour De Fete, brilliant French director Jacques reached international popularity in 1955 with Mr. Hulot’s Holiday (Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot), which received a writing Oscar nomination.
The first film to introduce his alter ego, Monsieur Hulot, it sets the pattern for future appearances of the character, throwing the bumbling hero into all kinds of adventures and misadventures.
The humor derives from sharp, satirical observations of a stuffy resort community, known for its quietness, which Mr. Hulot finds all kinds of ways to interrupt and disrupt.
Episodic and minimal in dialogue, the film consists of funny set pieces, including a disrupted funeral, an interrupted game of cards, and a game of tennis played according to non-traditional rules, to say the least.
Oscar Nominations: 1
Story and Screenplay: Jacques Tati and Henri Marquet
Oscar Context:
The winners were William Ludwig and Sonya Levien for Interrupted Melody.
Running time: 86 minutes.
DVD: January 6, 2004
Janus Films
