Like Chaplin and Keaton, Jacques Tati was a master of comic timing who emphasized action over dialogue. And like Chaplin's Modern Times, Mon Oncle is a hilarious commentary on technology and the clash of old and new ideas. (Both films make inventive use of sound, as well.) Tati's bumbling Monsieur Hulot brings mischief and laughter into the life of his nephew, who lives with his gadget-obsessed parents in a spotless, ultra-modern house that is itself one of the movie's most fascinating characters.

Tony Peltier