Les Vacances de M. Hulot

Jacques Tati - 1953
There are many long shots here, cars and hotels. There is a kind of diagonal shot, very very deep, that is distinctive to Tati, and used often here.
The bit that takes me a while to get used to woth Tati is the way there are long long periods without any jokes. There are endless set-ups, some blatantly calling for a 'gag', others just of situations, locations, spaces, but the pay-off is deliberately avoided. This enters into the disticntive Tati rhythm. This pattern in really the narrative of the film; Hulot could have a love affair, could cause complete chaos, but neither quite happens, life continues... (I'm uncomfortable calling Tati's time circular; it is more that time does not follow actions, but follows reactions).
What makes up most of the film is displays of social ettiquette, just observed. Tati is in many ways a sociologist, not making an obvious joke of, or indeed critiquing deeply beyond some light absurdism, but rather displaying the wares of human non-linguistic interaction (soundtrack for comedy, and to draw attention to pertinent points).
This film is quite clear; we have a less complex frame than I can remember in 'Mon Oncle' or 'Playtime' also. I wouldn't rank it with 'Playtime', but it's at times joyful to watch.