Photo: Jacques Bidoud as Vincent in Otar Iosseliani's Monday Morning
Vincent (Jacques Bidou) works as a welder at a local factory with a strict non-smoking policy. Ignored by his wife and children, this alienated would-be painter leaves for Venice looking for spiritual enlightenment. What follows is Otar Iosseliani's homage to Jacques Tati: Vincent leaves for work Mon Oncle-style; his voyage to Italy is like M. Hulot's Holiday; and a very ordinary day at work could be seen as a deleted Playtime. Despite these unmistakable shout-outs, Iosseliani avoids copying Tati's formal stylistics. In fact, there's a greater sense of realism at work here; no sound effects accompany any of the film's endless sight gags, and Iosseliani's use of long shot never calls too much attention to itself. If Vincent doesn't make for a particularly memorable everyman, Iosseliani's playful obsession with everyday events makes his hero's trip to Italy that much more exceptional. This is where Monday Morning separates itself from Playtime: This life-affirming comedy actually contemplates our freedom from the machine.
Vincent (Jacques Bidou) works as a welder at a local factory with a strict non-smoking policy. Ignored by his wife and children, this alienated would-be painter leaves for Venice looking for spiritual enlightenment. What follows is Otar Iosseliani's homage to Jacques Tati: Vincent leaves for work Mon Oncle-style; his voyage to Italy is like M. Hulot's Holiday; and a very ordinary day at work could be seen as a deleted Playtime. Despite these unmistakable shout-outs, Iosseliani avoids copying Tati's formal stylistics. In fact, there's a greater sense of realism at work here; no sound effects accompany any of the film's endless sight gags, and Iosseliani's use of long shot never calls too much attention to itself. If Vincent doesn't make for a particularly memorable everyman, Iosseliani's playful obsession with everyday events makes his hero's trip to Italy that much more exceptional. This is where Monday Morning separates itself from Playtime: This life-affirming comedy actually contemplates our freedom from the machine.
