Jacque Tati's brilliant film PLAYTIME screened at the Egyptian Theater tonight. This is a 70mm print of a film shot in 65mm and mixed in 6 channel sound. It's a restored print including a few new minutes of material not seen in almost 30 years. It's a film that is hard to write about because it is so unique. Tati's films have virtually no dialogue, and no plot. They are extremely visual, with a very creative eye. They are comedies, but they are so subtle that if you are not very carefully paying attention, you'll have no idea something funny is happening. Unfortunately, contemporary audiences do not have the patience for this type of movie.
The film is so good that after seeing it you want to watch it again immediately, and when you leave the theater, you will look at the world differently. If I had to pick a favorite film, this would be it.
The film is playing again on May 25th, at the Aero theater in Santa Monica. I
very highly recommend the film. It rarely screens, this may be your only chance to see it where it was intended, on the big screen.
3 comments:
Completely agree. The film was brilliant and wonderful to watch. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a unique cinematic experience.
I've never seen this film in a theater with proper sound, but I was absolutely destroyed by it when I saw it on the DVD (I think it's a Criterion Collection, but I'm not sure).
Simply watching the structure of the film, and the development of the story, makes you sad for a culture with SPEED RACER and WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS.
Should be required viewing for film students.
There is a new DVD (also Criterion) of the restored 6-channel version, with a few more extras. I haven't gotten around to watching them all yet.
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