The good news: Jacques Tati's daring masterpiece PlayTime is being re-released on November 7 in the UK. The even better news: we have a brand-new poster to share with you in honour of this momentous occasion, and here it is for you below. Please accept 0 Empire points if you can spot Monsieur Hulot.
Unloved on its initial release, now is the perfect time to rediscover the absurdity inherent in modern life, as seen through the eyes of both Monsieur Hulot and Monsieur Tati. Intricate, incisive and inspirational, it's a 70mm delight that was the much-loved director's most ambitious project, featuring a gigantic set built exactly to his instructions. Now it's been 4K-ified, in a way all the glass and concrete and joyful pratfalls have long demanded.
The story, should you demand one, sees Monsieur Hulot taking on the tricky problems of finding and completing a job interview. A reimagined modernist Paris blesses him with several comedy bear traps, some in the form of never-ending corridors, others as slippery floors, sinking chairs, or sliding doors. As you'll see from the trailer below, a restaurant is also involved, as is a lot of sheet glass. Do *not *watch it if you respond badly to broken glass (you'll probably want to dodge **Die Hard **for similar reasons, too).
Look out for PlayTime at BFI Southbank as part of a wider Jacques Tati season come November 7, as well as in selected cinemas nationwide.