Jacques Tati’s gloriously choreographed, nearly wordless comedies about confusion in an age of high technology reached their apotheosis with Playtime. For this monumental achievement, a nearly three-year-long, bank-breaking production, Tati again thrust the lovably old-fashioned Monsieur Hulot, along with a host of other lost souls, into a baffling modern world, this time Paris. With every inch of its superwide frame crammed with hilarity and inventiveness, Playtime is a lasting record of a modern era tiptoeing on the edge of oblivion.

Shot in 70mm, with an enormous purpose-built set known as ‘Tativille’, _Playtime _is widely considered to be Tati’s most ambitious accomplishment. Budget difficulties and other disasters stretched the shooting schedule to three years, with Tati forced to take out several large loans to cover production costs. Upon release, the director insisted that the film be shown strictly in 70mm, refusing to provide a 35mm copy for smaller theatres. Critics have praised Playtime for its subtlety, complexity, and cutting-edge style. François Truffaut reportedly called it “a film that comes from another planet, where they make films differently.”