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38 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Criterion remaster of this remarkable film, June 3, 2001
This review is from: Playtime (The Criterion Collection) (DVD)
Jacques Tati's farewell to Monsieur Hulot is also a deep, insightful, sad and funny reflection on the modern age. The old Paris that Hulot loved in Holiday and moved in and out of in Mon Oncle -- the Paris we think of when we long to visit -- is completely gone here. (The closing scene in Mon Oncle, where Hulot drives past an anonymous airport, presages the modernity that has overwhelmed Paris in Playtime.) Hulot's Paris of the 1950s is all steel, glass, and consumerism. Human contact seems impossible at first. But as the day passes into night (and then into day again), individuality replaces structure, and Hulot's humanity ultimately conquers modern sterility. This wonderfully compassionate story is also remarkably funny, though these are smiling long-lasting laughs, not belly laughs. Ignore the negative comments about the picture quality of the VHS from the first two reviewers. The DVD is soooo much better than the VHS -- it is impossible to describe the improvement. As for the 2.35:1 vs. 1.85:1 issue, all I can say is that I loved the film as presented by Criterion. I have no idea if I would love it more in its full aspect. This is one of the great achievements in cinema -- don't miss it.
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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
amazing movie and an admirable transfer, July 27, 2001
This review is from: Playtime (The Criterion Collection) (DVD)
OK, this is an amazing film. of course. every time i've seen it, either at home or in the theater, i have been completely captivated. It is by turns charming, hilarious, and jittering with energy. It builds into frenzies, distracting the viewer from the pleasant fact that there is little to tie the film together, no true main characters, and almost no dialogue. about the dvd transfer. first of all, the only 70mm print left in existence is owned by Jacques Tati's family, who does not release it to anyone. so what we have to work with are 35mm prints and 16mm prints. this is a nice transfer--plenty of color, no scratches, and so on. what's more, criterion collection should be commended for even releasing a DVD in the first place. for any lover of the film, it's a real treat to get to have it around to watch all the time. The VHS was appalling, unlistenable, and well, VHS (need i go into the faults of the medium??). I'm glad to have it; I enjoy being able to turn off the subtitles; and i think technical critique is really trifling and tiresome. If you can see this film in the theater, GO SEE IT IMMEDIATELY. otherwise, get the dvd. it's a brilliant film.
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21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
What are their criteria, exactly, June 1, 2002
This review is from: Playtime (The Criterion Collection) (DVD)
I don't propose to write lengthing about Tati's masterpiece; I shall merely reiterate that Playtime is the 2001 of comedies. My issues are with the quality of presentation on the DVD. The transfer of the mono mix of the 35mm print of the film is as good as can be expected, and the subtitling adds another dimension over the International version, picking out "key" bits of dialogue (although none is essential). The sleeve notes explain that the location of the original elements, and thus the 65mm negative and stereo (or quadrophonic!) soundtrack have been lost, for the time being, but I urge you not to be put off by this. It has already been discussed that some 4:3 material has been flagged as anamorphic, such that a television will stretch out images that should never have been stretched, causing some problems with subtitles being distorted. This is annoying and sloppy, requiring a manual correction when viewed each time; a moron in a hurry should have spotted this error, and I am very diappointed that Criterion have not been more punctilious. Further, the very end of the film is supposed to be a fade to black while the music keeps playing to the end; there is about 30s overlap there. However, on this transfer, the music fades out as soon as the film is over. This gives the film an abrupt ending which has a very different effect to the proper version, as released by the British Film Institute on VHS in the UK. Having said that, I urge you still to buy this disc, as it is good enough to get a high quality of this great film into your home. I am just disappointed at Criterion.
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