Monsieur Hulot's Holiday

Monsieur Hulot's Holiday is a 1953 French comedy film starring and directed by Jacques Tati. While passengers board a train at an unnamed railway station and bus stop, Monsieur Hulot, an apparent bachelor of comedic gait, instead drives his rudimentary 1924 Salmson AL car to the beachside holiday (French 'vacances') hotel. On his arrival at the hotel, Hulot causes chaos when he opens the door during a stiff sea breeze. Later that night, Hulot arrives at the hotel restaurant and waits to be served. As guests lounge around at the beach, Hulot helps a young woman named Martine and her aunt with their luggage. Inside the hotel lounge, guests are bothered by Hulot's loud playing of a record and have it turned off. As he looks for something to do, Hulot joins Denise, a young girl scout with a backpack. Sometime later, Hulot goes sailing in his kayak, but the kayak breaks in half and is mistaken as a shark by the beachgoers. Hulot returns from the beach and tracks dirty shoeprints inside the hotel. Later on, Hulot drives a man to a funeral. As Hulot repairs his car, he pulls out a tire, which becomes covered in leaves and is mistaken for a funeral wreath. Hulot next plays a tennis match and wins decisively. Back at the hotel, Hulot plays table tennis but loses sight of the ball when it lands in the lounge. The next morning, as Martine goes horseback riding, Hulot tries to mount on a horse but his steed breaks free and locks a man inside his trunk. Later that same night, he dances with Martine at a costume party. Hulot faces more everyday mishaps, including attempts to jack a car with a flat tire and setting off fireworks in the middle of the night. Before long, the beachgoers leave the resort and bid their farewells to Hulot, who also departs.