Beeping consoles. Whirring Fans. The sounds of malfunctioning, T.V. shopping-network-bought products. These are just a few of the things that come into mind when I hear the name Jacques Tati. Play Time (1973), while already having its place in the Criterion library, is now released unto us via the Blu-Ray disc format, and for those of you snoozing at the theaters with films chock-full of drab dialogue and uneventful cinematography, here’s the film for you. Sure, Play Time isn’t moved by narration and dialogue between the characters, but its imaginative cinematography and elaborate choreography have allowed me to watch it over and over again. It seems each time I see Play Time I’m able to find something new that I hadn’t noticed in the past. When watching Play Time, keep in mind that these are not just citizens of the streets of Paris but rather placed on set by the director and his crew. Everything is an intention and the amount of detail and work is inspiring. Criterion’s Blu-Ray release holds true and is an outstanding upgrade. The picture’s sharp, and the depth of field is more impressive. Tati’s odd and quirky humor comes through strongly in Play Time, which along with Akira Kurosawa’s Kagemusha, are now available for the Blu-Ray users and I highly recommend both, as Criterion tends to do a more than outstanding job on all video transfers. Pick up both if you have the time. – [Blu-Ray]
Comedy
Not Rated
DVD Release Date: 8/19/09