All of Jacques Tati's Feature Films, Ranked

Greetings! It’s been a while since I’ve made an appearance on here, but I’m back! Life has been busy, but I’ve still managed to sneak some movies in.

Since I last saw y’all, I finished all of Jacques Tati’s full-length feature films. It was quite a journey—one that started, and simultaneously almost ended, with Mon oncle—but by its conclusion, I was a Tati girl.

Jacques Tati, a French filmmaker known for his mostly-silent comedies, was a true genius. His career spanned over forty years, and each of his films are perfectly crafted. They serve as a kind of archive for how his mind worked, and it’s fascinating to catch a glimpse of the world as he saw it.

So I decided to rank them, from my least favorite to my favorite, and share that ranking with you today. Enjoy!

Note: This list does not include his short films or documentaries.

6. Trafic

Tati plays Monsieur Hulot in four of his movies. This is the final “Monsieur Hulot film,” in which he’s on his way to an auto show with his company’s model camper car.

In Trafic, it’s more about the journey than the destination. But even though I knew that was the point going in, I couldn’t help but feel the frustration of not being there yet! Most of the comedy was also bit too abstract for me as well, and I missed a lot of it. I’d be curious if it would become more clear to me with a second viewing, or if it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the humour in this one—it felt a bit too mean for me. While there’s a little bit of that in each of these films, the harshest examples are in Trafic, and those instances rubbed me the wrong way.

I do like the theme song, though, and have listened to it several times over the last month or so. The demonstration of the tricked-out camper car is fun, too. There’s a great final scene that felt very happy, despite a depressing outcome for Tati’s character. But overall, this is my least favorite of the Tati vehicles (no pun intended). 

5. Jour de Fête

Tati plays François, a postman whose routine is disrupted when a traveling fair comes to town.

I really wanted to like this one as much as I did Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday, because it was in black and white and felt a bit more old-fashioned than Tati’s other movies. But Jour de Fête just didn’t quite do it for me.

With Tati’s work, I hesitate to say there were empty scenes, or lulls, because maybe I just missed something and didn’t look hard enough for the humour! So I say this with caution: I did feel there were elements (characters, scenarios, etc.) that could have been explored more. Some scenes had great potential, but ended up falling flat.

That being said, it still had its moments, and it was a great first feature film for Tati. A highlight was François’ decision to deliver the mail “American-style,” resulting in mail being delivered in ridiculous fashion (such as coasting by on his bike and spearing an envelope onto a farmer’s pitchfork as he passes). A commentary that’s become only more relevant as the years ramble on.

4. Parade

This is probably controversial, but I loved Parade. What I find interesting is that a lot of people who don’t like this one criticize it for the very reasons Tati’s other films are praised (for instance, the blurred lines between reality and make-believe). I found the whole thing charming, and we get to see some brilliant pantomime from Mr. Tati. (My favorite was his imitation of a soccer goalie).

This movie also contains three circus performers doing the most brilliant juggling routine ever. Tati could easily have carried the whole of Parade (and, heck, all his other films) on his shoulders, but I greatly admire his willingness to let other performers take center stage and showcase their talents.

3. PlayTime

A theme throughout Tati’s films is the juxtaposition of traditional ways of life, and modern technology. I’ve heard that PlayTime was the pinnacle of this, and indeed, there are plenty of scenes that cleverly poke fun at the baffling (and often roundabout) nature of modern living. These are the parts I’ve seen referenced most often—the stark office cubicles, the trade exhibition, the fancy gadgets.

But what rocketed this into my top 3 was the restaurant/nightclub scene, which takes up the entire second half of the film. The overwhelming but perfect chaos, as the nightclub slowly falls apart, is a masterpiece. I didn’t want it to end— every time I thought there would be a lull in the action, I was proved wrong by even more visual gags and mayhem. I can only imagine how well-choreographed everything actually had to be to achieve the illusion of spontaneity. Yet another example of how talented the entire cast was (and how diligently the crew must have worked, as well)!

2. Mon oncle

We’ve come around full circle! Mon oncle was the first Tati movie I ever saw, and to be honest, I didn’t like it. It wasn’t until I learned to see it from a different perspective (more on that here) that I gained an appreciation for his films, and decided to give the rest of them a shot.

I completed Tati’s filmography a few days ago by giving Mon oncle another shot as well. The first time I saw it, I watched and impatiently waited for something to happen. This time, I sat back and let Tati’s world unfold in front of me. And I adored it so much that it’s earned the rank of my second favorite.

While each movie has a great theme tune, Mon oncle has the best overall soundtrack, in my opinion. I’m actually listening to it as I write this!

1. Monsieur Hulot's Holiday

Achieving the Number 1 spot is Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday, a near-perfect movie that feels like a dreamy, endless summer vacation. If you haven’t yet seen a Tati film, this is a great place to start. The humour is more accessible than in his other ones, and overall, it’s just a lovely time.

The Hôtel de la Plage is still there (albeit updated to look more modern—something I’m sure Monsieur Hulot would be confounded by), and a statue of him oversees the beachgoers.

You can find the movie for free on YouTube. (The only subtitles available are Portuguese ones, but you don’t really need to understand the dialogue in order to know what’s going on).