The Magnificent Tati
The Magnificent Tati
(c) 2009 Sit Up Straight Films. All Rights Reserved.
“A rich and concise overview of Tati and his career”
The word “visionary” is tossed about liberally when referring to artists. Yet in the case of Jacques Tati, no other word could be so apt.
Although his roots were firmly entrenched in mime and physical comedy, he eventually, with very few words, and more precise and comical fashion than any other director, illuminated on the burgeoning post-war lifestyle trend: modernism.
At the peak of his career, he captured the way in which some folks of his generation grappled with this sleek new lifestyle: the mod-cons (Mon Oncle), and the increasingly efficient, but bureaucratised, homogenous, and largely faceless workforce (Play Time).
Indeed, he experienced a complete reversal of fortunes, having made a great deal of money on M. Hulot’s Holiday and Mon Oncle, only to lose it on Play Time’s extravagant production.
Nevertheless, as a true sign of his artistry, he had no regrets: in Play Time, he made the film he had envisaged.
Despite Tati’s talent and success, this documentary is hardly hagiographic. We learn of a significant secret from his past, for instance.
But I’ll leave that for you to discover. Tati was magnificent, and Michael House’s documentary provides a rich and concise overview of Tati and his career.