This movie is a little disorienting at first because no one speaks for the first few minutes, and it plays like it would be a silent film. Gradually we're introduced to an assembly of characters, the principal one being a Monsieur Hulot (Jacques Tati), who we quickly learn is an odd duck in a technological world who simply stumbles along to get by. His sister (Adrienne Servantie) and brother-in-law Charles (Jean-Pierre Zola) own a garish modern home that would look odd even in an art deco milieu. It's the couple's intention to fit Hulot into a job at Charles' plastics company, as well as play matchmaker for the single gent. All plans go awry however, as Hulot epitomizes the concept of trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. The picture is colorfully whimsical, as well as delightful in it's absurdity, though I can see how other viewers might find it vapid and boring. Without knowing anything about director Jacques Tati (this was my first look at one of his works), one can ascertain a bit of Chaplin's sensibility, and with the character of Hulot, I found myself thinking of Peter Sellers' Chance in "Being There". My favorite scenes in the picture involved the sister's garden party set in the lavish yard with it's ugly fish fountain and bright green borders, with every guest straining to navigate the sidewalk path by stepping only on it's stone pavers. They fully illustrate the director's attempt to demonstrate the absurd by being absurd.