Jour de Fete

Released May 4, 1949

1h 20m

Comedy

List

100%

Tomatometer

23 Reviews

83%

Audience Score

2,500+ Ratings

In a small French town, the local postman, scatterbrained and bumbling François (Jacques Tati), spends his working hours casually delivering the mail, while being the subject of the townsfolk's teasing. When a traveling carnival arrives in town, a drunken François is goaded into watching a film depicting the efficiency of the U.S. Postal Service. Inspired by the footage, the hapless François sets out on his bicycle to become just like the mail carriers in the United States.

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Richard Brody

New Yorker

The gags run on the laughably unintended interconnectedness of mechanical things, but in Tati’s wistful vision, the chain reactions leave behind merely the memories of missed connections.

Jul 5, 2022

Full Review

Noel Murray

The Dissolve

Jour De Fête sees Tati building out the world around François, finding humor in the leisurely pace of country living.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 3, 2014

Full Review

Eric Kohn

New York Press

The originality of its design makes Tati's cinema unfold as it were a series of Looney Tunes episodes envisioned by Robert Altman.

Jan 2, 2008

Full Review

Josh Larsen

LarsenOnFilm

...freewheelingly captures a traveling carnival's effects on a small French village.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jan 7, 2021

Full Review

Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

Clumsy, klutzy, and keen on showing his fellow townsfolk that he can modify his techniques as well, sends him off on a drunken dash through town, of course leading to a multitude of snafus, the phrase "that takes the cake," a constant refrain.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 3, 2020

Full Review

Fernando Trueba

El Pais (Spain)

Jacques Tati offers us a world with a particular set of laws, a nontraditional rhythm and time, and a new and original dramaturgy. With all that he proposes a different form of contemplation. [Full Review in Spanish]

Jul 31, 2019

Full Review

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Phil G

A brilliant film, recommended!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/13/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Tati's feature debut is charming, romantic and at times rather dull. There are very good physical sight gags but he hadn't yet finessed them into a particularly interesting scenario. The plot here is minuscule: a travelling funfair arrives in a sleepy village and local postman Francois (Tati) is inspired by newsreel of the American postal service to speed up his bicycle deliveries. Tati uses sound, music and mime but it wasn't until he introduced M. Hulot into the mix that his unique talents found their ideal showcase.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Totally delightful madness from start to finish. Tati is a master of slapstick, physical comedy, and character sketches.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/10/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Early Tati. Comedy not as natural as in later masterpieces. Simple satire on American business methods - speed, speed, speed! But Tati (as Francois the rural postman with the swinging satchel) is not the loner/outsider that M. Hulot became. In fact, at times here Francois is the village idiot and not really funny at all. Tati obviously learnt from this. Still, a nostalgic delight. I watched a tinted/colourised version which gave the picture a washed-out look.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Ehhhhh..... Jaques Tati's debut film is alright. Theres a really good and charming climax to this movie. Sadly most of the slapstick is incredibly dated even for 1949. Like stepping on rakes and stuff like that. Ehh it aint enough material to recommend to somebody its pretty empty. I had fun watching it however

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

It's not that funny most of the time and at times it's genuinely un-funny. This feature was based on a short Tati did that was a lot funnier. He lifted some of those earlier shots and recycled them in this. If the carnival scenes seem boring and tacked on, that's because they were tacked on to Tatis short about a mailman trying to modernize, American style.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

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Jacques Tati

Director

Jacques Tati

François le facteur

Guy Decomble

Roger

Santa Relli

Germaine

Paul Frankeur

Marcel

Marine Vallée

Jeannette

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Synopsis

In a small French town, the local postman, scatterbrained and bumbling François (Jacques Tati), spends his working hours casually delivering the mail, while being the subject of the townsfolk's teasing. When a traveling carnival arrives in town, a drunken François is goaded into watching a film depicting the efficiency of the U.S. Postal Service. Inspired by the footage, the hapless François sets out on his bicycle to become just like the mail carriers in the United States.

Director: Jacques Tati
Producer: Fred Orain
Screenwriter: Jacques Tati, Henri Marquet, René Wheeler
Distributor: Criterion Collection, Arthur Mayer-Edward Kingsley Inc.
Production Co: Panoramica, Cady Films
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: French (France)
Release Date (Theaters): May 4, 1949, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 11, 2017
Runtime: 1h 20m
Sound Mix: Mono

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