My Uncle

1958, 91', Jacques Tati, French dialogue

Monsieur Arpel, his wife, and their son Gérard live in a modern neighborhood where the rigid dictates of post-war bourgeois values reign supreme. Gérard, bored by this dull life, immediately takes to his uncle, Monsieur Hulot, whose childlike attitude towards life causes trouble in the sterile community. Intent to put a stop to his freewheeling immaturity, the elder Arpels conspire to saddle Hulot with a factory job.

Jacques Tati (b. 1907, Paris) spent his early years as an athlete, only later becoming a comic actor. He wrote, directed, and performed in all of his works. His character Monsieur Hulot, based on his observations of the world around him and its absurdities, is considered one of the most iconic figures in French film and a paragon of physical comedy. Although his dialogue is sparse, sound effects are a critical element of his storylines. My Uncle is the second film in the Hulot trilogy.