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Film Mon Dec 21 2009
Clowning Around on Christmas
After the wrapping paper has been discarded and Christmas dinner is nicely digested, a trip to the Music Box Theatre may be in order. On Christmas day the Music Box is screening a restored print of Jacques Tati's 1953 film Mr. Hulot's Holiday. The first of many Hulot appearances, Mr. Hulot's Holiday follows the pipe-smoking clown on his August vacation at a beach resort. His carefree demeanor quickly annoys his fellow posh and conservative vacationers and, of course, leads to some comedic moments. Though the film is not silent, Tati uses many classic silent comedy techniques such as sight gags and slapstick to get his Hulot in and out of trouble. As Roger Ebert said in his review of the film, "Is it 'funny'? No, it is miraculous." The new 35mm print looks drastically better than the previous. The print has been lightened so that the images in the film and crystal clear, and all major scratches have been removed. If you have seen this film before, the new print makes it feels like watching you're watching a completely different movie.
Mr. Hulot's Holiday plays at the Music Box through January 7th. Tickets are $9.25 and can be purchased at the Music Box box office.