---
title: "PlayTime"
year: 1967
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/playtime"
fi1m_id: "playtime"
imdb_id: "tt0062136"
tmdb_id: 10227
wikidata_id: "Q1454574"
fi1m_score: 88
critics_score: 83
critics_reviews: 9
published: "2026-09-26T16:19:12.266708+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-26T16:19:12.847167+00:00"
region: "CA"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# PlayTime (1967)

Directed by Jacques Tati · 1h 55m · Comedy

## Identity

PlayTime

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/playtime
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** playtime
- **IMDb ID:** tt0062136
- **TMDB ID:** 10227
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1454574
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062136/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/10227, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1454574

**Fi1m score: 88** · Critics 83 from 9 reviews

*In a sentence:* The glass gets more laughs than most leading men

> Jacques Tati’s *PlayTime* is a funny, exacting comedy that rewards looking away from the obvious. The crowded images can feel chilly and overworked, but their small discoveries make the effort worthwhile.

## Synopsis

Monsieur Hulot (Jacques Tati) is one figure among the tourists, shoppers and workers occupying a setting of modern architecture, glass and reflections. A Young Tourist (Barbara Dennek), a Woman Selling Eyeglasses (France Rumilly) and a Shopper in Department Store (France Delahalle) are among the people sharing his surroundings. Attention moves between these people and the spaces around them, with several pieces of everyday business visible in the same frame. Monsieur Hulot provides someone to follow, but the activity elsewhere continues, and the view does not always make him its centre.

## Review

Jacques Tati asks for more attention than most comedy directors, and *PlayTime* earns it. There are jokes spread across the image, with no guarantee that the person we happen to be watching is doing the funniest thing. That can make the film feel like work for a while, especially when we are waiting for a story to gather speed. Stay with it: this is a funny, generous film, even if its coolness occasionally keeps us at a distance.

His Monsieur Hulot does not monopolise our interest. Barbara Dennek’s Young Tourist belongs to a crowd whose smaller activities are worth watching independently of the leading man. This gives physical comedy more possibilities than the familiar contest between a central performer and an uncooperative object. We can watch the people at the edge, lose track of Monsieur Hulot and still be following the comedy, which takes a little getting used to if we expect every scene to announce its purpose.

Jean Badal and Andréas Winding’s deep-focus cinematography makes that freedom possible. The crowded frames remain legible, so looking beyond the foreground brings rewards without dissolving into visual confusion. Eugène Roman’s production design gives glass and reflections enough prominence to become part of the comic business, making apparently orderly surroundings surprisingly difficult to read. We laughed at the way the glass confused our eye, then kept scanning for whatever else we might have missed.

The modern architecture supplies a useful target without requiring a succession of villains. Its ordered surfaces suggest a place where human behaviour ought to be equally tidy, an expectation the comedy is well equipped to test. The satire is gentle enough to leave us wanting a little more bite, but the director does not treat the people in these spaces as fools. A film which asks us to study strangers for so long would become unpleasant if it despised them.

Gérard Pollicand’s editing gives us time to search those images, and sometimes more time than the search needs. At 115 minutes, the film has stretches where we appreciate the arrangement but wait a little too long for the next laugh. Francis Lemarque’s music helps lighten the mood, though it cannot make us feel closer to people whom the wider views keep at a distance. The patience usually pays off, but there are passages we would happily see shortened.

The restaurant sequence makes that attention especially rewarding, with bodies and gags arranged in layers across the frame. We will leave its incidents alone; their timing is a large part of their pleasure. Here the choreography feels sociable enough to make the earlier coolness less troublesome, and the density gives our eyes plenty to do without making the scene feel like homework. Jacques Tati lets the ensemble carry a physical comedy that could easily have settled for displaying his own skill.

Go in expecting a comedy that needs active watching. A small screen makes this harder work than it should be, because the people at the edges need room to register. We would choose it for an evening when the company is happy to watch closely, without talking over the pictures while waiting for the next line. Give it the largest screen available and put the phone out of reach.

*Fi1m score 88, published 26 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics respond warmly to PlayTime, with praise concentrated on Tati’s precise visual comedy and the number of gags unfolding across each frame. The sets, deep-focus staging and use of glass and reflections draw particular attention. The reviews find plenty to admire in its satire of modern architecture, too. Slant Magazine values the freedom to explore the image rather than follow a conventional story, singling out the restaurant sequence’s densely layered comedy.

The differences concern how engaging all that precision feels. The Guardian finds the satire occasionally genteel, while still praising the controlled, surreal staging. Eye for Film offers the clearest reservation, finding the film too cool and overextended to love outright, despite admiring the restaurant choreography. The available verdicts range from wholehearted enthusiasm to qualified admiration: the craft commands broad respect, but its wit and intricacy do not charm every critic equally.

## Straight answers

**Is PlayTime worth watching?**

*PlayTime* is worth watching for its intricate physical comedy, provided we give its crowded images our full attention; we score it 88 out of 100. Glass, reflections and people at the edges supply unexpected laughs, though the pace sometimes drags and the characters can feel distant. We recommend a large screen and an evening without distractions.

**How long is PlayTime, and what is it rated?**

*PlayTime* runs 1h 55m. It is a comedy film.

**Where can I watch PlayTime in Canada?**

*PlayTime* is not on any streaming or rental service in Canada at the moment. It is available in 2 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How does PlayTime compare to Mon Oncle?**

*PlayTime* is cooler and more demanding than [*Mon Oncle*](https://film.one/film/mon-oncle), which makes it the better choice for close visual exploration rather than warm company. Both find comedy in people negotiating orderly surroundings, but *PlayTime* spreads its jokes across crowded public spaces while *Mon Oncle* finds repeated trouble in an automated house. We recommend *Mon Oncle* for warmth, *PlayTime* for patient discovery.

**What should I watch after PlayTime?**

After *PlayTime*, try [*Mon oncle*](https://film.one/film/mon-oncle) (1958, Fi1m 82): More unruly human behaviour among surroundings that seem to demand obedience. Then [*The General*](https://film.one/film/the-general) (1926, Fi1m 91): Precise physical comedy that makes machinery worth watching as closely as faces; and [*Modern Times*](https://film.one/film/modern-times) (1936, Fi1m 88): For another comedian finding trouble in the promise of perfect efficiency.

### Reviews we read (9)

- **Radio Times**, Calum Baker (★★★★★): The critic considers the film an ambitious, distinctive comedy whose artistry is extraordinary. They single out its unique visual style and the scale of its bespoke set for praise. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-l354b1/playtime/)
- **Slant Magazine**, Eric Henderson (4/4): Henderson praises Playtime as an unusually immersive film that loosens viewers’ dependence on conventional storytelling. He singles out its densely layered gags and the freedom to discover details across the frame, especially in the restaurant sequence. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/playtime/)
- **Time Out**, Dave Calhoun (5/5): Calhoun presents the film as a masterpiece that still holds up. He praises its visual wonders and subtle sight gags. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/playtime)
- **Empire**, David Parkinson (90/100, inferred): The review finds the film increasingly poignant and majestic despite its melancholy. It praises the intricate, incisive comedy and the gags woven throughout every frame. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/playtime-review/)
- **The New Yorker**, Richard Brody (90/100, inferred): Brody regards the film as a masterwork whose satire of modern architecture and social engineering is both fierce and funny. He especially praises the remaster’s startling clarity and Tati’s exquisitely precise visual humor. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2006/10/09/glass-houses-3)
- **The New York Times**, Vincent Canby (75/100, inferred): The headline presents the film as a funny and highly accomplished work. It singles out PlayTime as Tati’s most brilliant film. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1973/06/28/archives/playtime-a-funny-film-and-tatis-most-brilliantthe-cast.html)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (70/100, inferred): Bradshaw finds the satire occasionally genteel but says the film’s recurrent brilliance is undeniable. He praises its carefully controlled, surreal deep-focus scenes and Tati’s cerebral direction. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/nov/06/playtime-film-review-jacques-tati)
- **RogerEbert.com** (64/100, inferred): The page could not be accessed, so its verdict is unavailable. No praise or complaint can be identified from the page content provided. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-playtime-1967)
- **Eye for Film**, Amber Wilkinson (45/100, inferred): Wilkinson finds the film clever and acute but too cool and overextended to love outright. She praises the restaurant scenes’ intricate choreography and the film’s use of glass and reflections. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/playtime-1967-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson)

## Details

- **Director:** Jacques Tati
- **Director:** Jacques Tati
- **Screenplay:** Jacques Tati, Art Buchwald, Jacques Lagrange
- **Cinematography:** Jean Badal, Andréas Winding
- **Editor:** Gérard Pollicand
- **Music:** Francis Lemarque
- **Production design:** Eugène Roman
- **Costume design:** Jacques Cottin
- **Producer:** Bernard Maurice
- **Cast:** Jacques Tati as Monsieur Hulot; Barbara Dennek as Young Tourist; Rita Maiden as Mr. Schultz's Companion; France Rumilly as Woman Selling Eyeglasses; France Delahalle as Shopper in Department Store; Valérie Camille as Mr. Lacs's Secretary; Erika Dentzler as Mme. Giffard; Nicole Ray as Singer
- **Runtime:** 1h 55m
- **First release (France):** 13 December 1967
- **Genres:** Comedy
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrYB8hgyq4s

## Where to watch in Canada

Not streaming, renting or buying in Canada at the last check.

Also available in: AU, NZ. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Mon oncle* (1958), Fi1m 82: More unruly human behaviour among surroundings that seem to demand obedience. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/mon-oncle.md)
- *The General* (1926), Fi1m 91: Precise physical comedy that makes machinery worth watching as closely as faces. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-general.md)
- *Modern Times* (1936), Fi1m 88: For another comedian finding trouble in the promise of perfect efficiency. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/modern-times.md)
- *Songs from the Second Floor* (2000): Swedish comic tableaux with a much bleaker view of collective foolishness.
- *The Taste of Tea* (2004): A Japanese family’s everyday life allows room for gentle visual oddities.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/playtime