Mon Oncle

The Oscar winning 1958 Mon Oncle was the second outing for writer/director/star Jacques Tati as the immortal Mr. Hulot (after the 1953 Mr. Hulot's Holiday). Here, the amiable bachelor is weighed down by modern technology, both at his brother-in-law's (Jean-Pierre Zola) sterile all mod cons home (with a godawful fish fountain that's only turned on for upper middle class visitors) and later at a characterless factory that turns out plastic hose. Hulot's simple life, by contrast, appeals to his nephew (Alain Becourt), eventually becoming a source of friction between mom, dad, and "mon oncle." The Criterion digital video transfer here is characteristically eye-popping, while the extras include an interview with Terry Jones (of Monty Python fame) and a 1947 short by Tati. In addition to Mon Oncle, Criterion is also releasing Mr. Hulot's Holiday and Playtime (a 1968 Hulot film). Highly recommended. (R. Pitman)