In a time of brand-name gear, he rigged worthy contraptions from found parts.
Then he locks himself into a Rube Goldberg-worthy contraption and begins stuffing himself; father and son end up as works of art displayed in a museum.
The movie's witty Rube Goldberg-worthy contraptions remind us that until today's high-tech environment, machines used to be funny.
Filled with elaborate sight gags and contraptions worthy of Rube Goldberg, the film further establishes Mr. Jeunet as a genre unto himself, a sort of Gallic Tim Burton.
But, in the film, the Browns' home has a vast spiral staircase painted with a magical tree mural, Mrs Brown is always clothed in 50 shades of red, Judy has the ability to master any language, and Jonathan can construct Meccano contraptions worthy of Wallace and Gromit.
Sundays were spent at home producing Eight Passion Proteins on his own printing press; Waldemar Januszczak described it as worthy of Heath Robinson, who was known for his cartoons of ancient contraptions.
The contraption fools Mother Nature.
It was a festive contraption.
