Friday Films: "Mon Oncle" December 10, 2010

Mon Oncle (Gaumont, 1958) | Not rated | 117 minutes
Directed by and starring Jacques Tati
In French with English subtitles
Tati’s “Mr. Hulot” bumps and glides through the world as a bit of a latter day Candide who is loved dearly by his nephew but whose parents view as a hopeless loser. This precious film can be viewed purely as a near-silent comedy of grand classical tradition or as wry postmodern critique of an overly rational modernism that is encroaching on the charm of life. Homes are central metaphors for misguided progress vs. old fashioned warmth in Paris. Winner of Best Foreign Film Oscar.

Official Website: http://www.vmfa.state.va.us/Calendar_and_Events/Films/Mon_Oncle.aspx