Tati builds structures around his gags that allow them to play off as more than just simple jokes, they are machinery in themselves. Every sound effect, every physical tic, and, most of all, every absence of the viewer’s expectation is brick and mortar towards an understanding of the vocabulary of comedy. If Tati attempted to execute his situations in a less time consuming way, they would lose much of their depth and tension. When you get bored with the gag that’s playing out on the main stage, look to the back and fore ground, watch the other people in the shot, listen for rhythms and melodies. Tati’s films, especially Play Time, are as dense as anything ever produced in their representation of the ballet of life.