PlayTime

"An incomparable spectacle."

1967 1h 55m FR

🙌

7.7

BANGER

🔥

98%

CERTIFIED FRESH

💯

METACRITIC

⭐

7.8

IMDB

★7.7TMDB · 702🍅98%Rotten Tomatoes●99Metacritic★7.8IMDB · 28,867

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Clumsy Monsieur Hulot finds himself perplexed by the intimidating complexity of a gadget-filled Paris. He attempts to meet with a business contact but soon becomes lost. His roundabout journey parallels that of an American tourist, and as they weave through the inventive urban environment, they intermittently meet, developing an interest in one another. They eventually get together at a chaotic restaurant, along with several other quirky characters.

“An incomparable spectacle.”

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Where to watch · US

Cast

Jacques Tati
Monsieur Hulot
Barbara Dennek
Young Tourist
Rita Maiden
Mr. Schultz's Companion
France Rumilly
Woman Selling Eyeglasses
France Delahalle
Shopper in Department Store
Valérie Camille
Mr. Lacs's Secretary
Erika Dentzler
Mme. Giffard
Nicole Ray
Singer

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jacques Tati
Writers: Jacques Tati, Art Buchwald, Jacques Lagrange
Languages: German, French, English
Countries: France, Italy

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

59 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: German, French, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: France, Italy.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jacques Tati, shot by Jean Badal. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Francis Lemarque. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Gérard Pollicand shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jacques Tati and Barbara Dennek and Rita Maiden carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "An incomparable spectacle.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jacques Tati directs. Jean Badal behind the camera. Francis Lemarque scores. Gérard Pollicand cuts. Produced in France, Italy. Dialogue in German, French, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

159 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Dialogue crosses 3 languages: German, French, English.
3International production across 2 countries: France, Italy.
4Directed by Jacques Tati, shot by Jean Badal. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Francis Lemarque. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Gérard Pollicand shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Jacques Tati and Barbara Dennek and Rita Maiden carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "An incomparable spectacle.".
9IMDB entry: tt0062136 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 9 themes, including "paris, france", "modernity", "restaurant", "modern society".
11Released under 15 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Jean Badal
Original score: Francis Lemarque
Editing: Gérard Pollicand
Production design: Eugène Roman
Costume design: Jacques Cottin
Sound: Maurice Laumain
Runtime: 115 min · 1h 55m
Status: Released
Original language: FR
IMDB: PlayTime (1967)
Rotten Tomatoes: 98% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 99/100
IMDB rating: 7.8/10 · 28,867 votes
MPAA: Not Rated

Awards

2 wins & 1 nomination total

Also by

Jacques Tati

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2025-11-24
★ 7/10
In some ways this suggested to me a film that could have one side of the screen in monochrome and the other in colour. The former side would be that of “Hulot” (Jacques Tati) who has come to a Paris he knows but no longer really recognises. The latter one would follow the lives of some American tourists “doing” Europe and though lost when it comes to the language, are entirely familiar with all the new technology and modernisation in this ancient city. One exception in that group is the more adventurous “Barbara” (Barbara Dennek) who frequently finds herself, randomly, encountering an “Hulot” who can’t seem to meet anyone he sets out to meet in the way he expects to. As ever with Tati films, it takes a swipe at virtually all aspects of modern living and social behaviour, but here he also manages to extract some additional humour from the labour-saving gadgets that people install only to find they either don’t work or end up twice as labour-intensive as just employing a commissionaire in the first place. The whole calamitous enterprise culminates in a grandly designed restaurant on an opening night that starts with a tile loose and concludes with a chaotic scene that exudes a comedic naturalness worthy of Charlie Chaplin - only with more buzzers, bells and flashing lights. There’s very little dialogue to speak of, it’s really just a set of scenarios stitched together in a way that has you cringing in anticipation at some points then nodding heartily in agreement at others - all whilst this hapless man in a mac tries to salvage something from his day. It is a bit long and the deliberately slow pacing for the first half hour is a bit repetitious through 2020s eyes, but it’s salient points and characterisations have held up well and it’s still an enjoyable couple of hours.

Production companies