Die Ferien des Monsieur Hulot

LES VACANCES DE MONSIEUR HULOT is Tati's second Hulot film, and for many, the best. The figure of the pure fool who, in an effort to cover up the minor disasters he causes, causes major disasters all the more, has hardly ever been brought more elegantly to the screen. The pacing is also close to perfection - the gags are superbly timed, hand-polished by perfectionist Tati, and despite the leisurely pace and almost entirely non-existent dialogue, there is not a second's opportunity for boredom.

From the first scene at the provincial train station with the incomprehensible announcements to the last, in which Hulot, in striped socks and white pants, takes one last look at the beach: even 70 years after it was made, this film is very close to absurd reality. Anyone who has ever been on vacation by the sea will immediately feel understood - and the wonderfully relaxed summer jazz soundtrack by Alain Romans does the rest.