--- title: "PlayTime: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/playtime/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/playtime" critics_score: 83 critics_reviews: 9 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): what the critics said Critics' score 83 from 9 reviews: 7 positive, 2 mixed, 0 negative. 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. ## Radio Times — Calum Baker Rating ★★★★★. 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 the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-l354b1/playtime/) ## Slant Magazine — Eric Henderson Rating 4/4. 18 August 2009. 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 the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/playtime/) ## Time Out — Dave Calhoun Rating 5/5. 4 November 2014. Calhoun presents the film as a masterpiece that still holds up. He praises its visual wonders and subtle sight gags. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/playtime) ## Empire — David Parkinson Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. 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 the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/playtime-review/) ## The New Yorker — Richard Brody Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 October 2006. 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 the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2006/10/09/glass-houses-3) ## The New York Times — Vincent Canby Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 28 June 1973. The headline presents the film as a funny and highly accomplished work. It singles out PlayTime as Tati’s most brilliant film. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1973/06/28/archives/playtime-a-funny-film-and-tatis-most-brilliantthe-cast.html) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 6 November 2014. 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 the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/nov/06/playtime-film-review-jacques-tati) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The page could not be accessed, so its verdict is unavailable. No praise or complaint can be identified from the page content provided. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-playtime-1967) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 7 November 2014. 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 the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/playtime-1967-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/playtime.md