Don't like it at all

Wow, that's harsh. I really liked it, but then I'd already seen M. Hulot's Holiday, the first film in the series. The first time I saw Holiday, I remember thinking "huh?" about halfway through and turning it off, disappointed. I tried it again a few days later and this time I got through the whole thing...and really enjoyed it!

The Hulot films are DEFINITELY an acquired taste, and I could even see fans of Keaton, Chaplin, and Lloyd finding them a bit cold and distant the first time through.

But give it (or one of the other films in the series) another chance and you might be surprised to find it growing on you. Personally, I love the way Tati never goes for the easy laughs. While he certainly bumbles around alot, I don't seem to ever remember him "falling down" in either of the films I've seen. The humor is much subtler than that...which is why I think the films are brilliant even if they don't contain half as many laughs as a Buster Keaton film.

By the time I saw Mon Oncle (I still haven't seen Playtime), I TOTALLY got it...to the point that I'm considering buying all three available films in the series.

I think the key to enjoying these films is looking at them as moving paintings rather than "movies". Try to appreciate the technical aspects (like that AMAZING scene where we see Hulot walk all through the building to his room at the top!). Pay attention to the unique use of sound. Don't expect to laugh, just expect to be entertained by the oddness. Once you've adjusted to the idiosyncratic style, the laughs will come.

I hope you give this series another chance when you feel ready.

Oh and one more thing...if you want to see a silent comedy/action movie that will blow you away, rent Keaton's The General. I saw it a year ago and I'm still talking about it. Funny, action-packed, even poetic...it's one of the greatest action films EVER MADE!

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why?

black and white movies were better