Yoyo

Pierre Étaix's 1965 film opens with an open salute to silent cinema: the first section runs on intertitles with no speech. Beginning in the 1920s with the son of a millionaire, the story changes direction entirely once the crash wipes out the fortune. The man takes to the road with a horsewoman and becomes a circus clown. From there the film reaches into the sixties, with Étaix playing both the father and the grown son. The visual comedy is almost entirely choreography; Étaix stages with a precision close to Tati but is more openly emotional. His films were unshowable for years because of a legal dispute, and after it was settled in 2007 they were restored and put back into circulation. It played Cannes. Who it's for: viewers who love the silent comedy tradition and French visual humour. Who it's not for: anyone wanting verbal comedy and a fast pace; the film is built patiently and quietly.