Mr. Hulot's Holiday (1953, Jacques Tati) ***/****

     "Mr. Hulot's Holiday" is full of gags and comedic moments as the title character bumbles his way through a vacation at a beach resort in France.  Looking at it from today's perspective, the film is not very funny.  I didn't laugh once and the humour is somewhat stupid and childish although there is a particular charm to the film.  I've heard it is considered a cult film so I guess there is an audience for a film like this today and that others will appreciate the humour more than I did.  But, to me Jacques Tati's character and sense of humour in situations pales in comparison to the likes of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin.
   The plot unwinds in a sort of cyclical structure in which a number of days unfold with certain recurring time points:  the morning when the day starts, meals which everyone attend at the appropriate times, and various things to fill the afternoon, until nighttime.   This gives the film a very understandable and grounding structure with which we can make sense of the cinematic universe of Hulot.
    Hulot as a character says very little and seems to exist in a bubble.  He is totally oblivious to his surroundings and the other guests except for a potential love interest.  This is what the comedy is built on and the source of much of its comedic elements.
   There are two sides to the picture:  silence and sound.  In many ways, the film is like a silent picture because of the way that the visual gags are set up and the animated way that Hulot functions in his world.  On the other hand, sound plays an important role, both comedically and normally, throughout the picture.  There is a constant background noise of children playing on the beach that accompanies all the scenes in the resort that lends a sonic ambiance.  Also, the simple sound of a swinging door in the dining room is brought about in a funny way.
   Even though I didn't find it that funny, I enjoyed "Mr. Hulot's Holiday" for its whimsical portrait of the meanderings of a dimwit on a beautiful resort in the French countryside.  It is relaxing experience and a charming endeavour.