Rent Playtime (1967)
3.6 of 5 from 186 ratings
2h 4min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Featurete is a surreal, comic vision of modern life in which the director's much-loved character, Monsieur Hulot - accompanied by a cast of tourists and well-heeled Parisians - turns unintentional anarchist when set loose in an unrecognisable Paris of steel skyscrapers, chrome-plated shopping malls and futuristic night spots.
- Actors:
- Jacques Tati, Barbara Dennek, Rita Maiden, France Rumilly, France Delahalle, Valérie Camille, Erika Dentzler, Nicole Ray, Yvette Ducreux, Nathalie Jem, Jacqueline Lecomte, Oliva Poli, Alice Field, Sophie Wennek, Evy Cavallaro, Laure Paillette, Colette Proust, Luce Bonifassy, Ketty France, Eliane Firmin-Didot
- Directors:
- Jacques Tati
- Producers:
- Bernard Maurice
- Writers:
- Art Buchwald, Jacques Lagrange
- Studio:
- BFI Video
- Genres:
- Classics, Comedy
- Collections:
- A Brief History of the Tradition of Quality, Top 10 Bookshop Scenes, What to Watch If You Liked Monsieur Hulot's Holiday?
- Countries:
- France
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 29/11/2010
- Run Time:
- 124 minutes
- Languages:
- French LPCM Stereo
- Subtitles:
- English
- DVD Regions:
- Region 2
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 1.85:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Feature Commentary by Film Historian Philip Kemp
- Rare Audio Interview with Jacques Tati Recorded at the NFT in 1968, Accompanied by Stills and Images from the BFI's Collections
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Reviews (2) of Playtime
Inexplicably overrated 'classic' - Playtime review by CP Customer
High-minded critics are wont to describe Jacques Tati's 'Play Time' as a surreal and penetrating satirical vision of the modern world; in fact it's insufferably smug, excruciatingly dull and painfully, fatally unfunny. Tati is often compared to earlier giants of silent comedy like Chaplin and Keaton, but on this evidence he has precious little of Chaplin's empathy and grace and even less of Keaton's frenetic physical dexterity and dynamism. In fairness, it is visually quite interesting, but its intentionally drab colour palette and boxy concrete office and apartment blocks are actually nowhere near as imaginative or as interesting as the kind of high modernism Tati evidently thinks he is poking fun at.
It's tempting to surmise that this is a once great film of its particular time that simply hasn't aged well, but actually its critical reputation has only grown over the years - on its release, audiences reportedly found it unoriginal and trite. They were right and subsequent generations of critics are most definitely wrong.
1 out of 2 members found this review helpful.
Must be me! - Playtime review by CB
Mmm.....was expecting the best of Tati based on critical reviews.
How disappointing, my yawns started 10 minutes in, then sleep came and I returned the dvd.
Was waiting for some Action, but didn’t get any that satisfied me.
1 out of 2 members found this review helpful.