Populaire - My 'Type' of Film

Readers of MurrayOnFilm will be aware of what a sucker I am when it comes to world cinema; especially French language films. I was therefore my usual chipper self when I toddled along to see the newly released Populaire. Directed by Regis Roinsard, the film has marketed itself on a cross between The Artist and the hit American 50s-set TV show Mad Men. Throw in a hint of Rocky and Bridget Jones's Diary (stick with me here) and what you have is a charmingly witty and sweet French comedy oozing with style and sophistication.

Set in the late 1950s, the film tells of Rose, a small-town girl determined to become a secretary and escape the shackles of her small village. Finding employment with businessman Louis Echard, it soon transpires Rose is an awful secretary. Yet it does allow her to utilise her greatest skill; Rose can type, and type fast! Seeing Rose's potential Louis enters into the regional speed typing competition. What follows is the blossoming relationship between the two characters, filled with witty banter and exciting montage sequences showing Rose's training and efforts in the typing contests.

Deborah Francois (The Page Turner), aside from being the future Mrs. Murray (dream on, boy!) excels as Rose, the initially naive small-town girl trying to make it big, yet proving more than a match for her slick and charming employer. Romain Duris (Heartbreaker) is also on form as Echard, the slick and charismatic businessman who spots and hones Rose's talent. A complex character with his own hang-ups, Duris gives us a nuanced performance and has great chemistry with his female counterpart. It is also wonderful to see the excellent and charming Berenice Bejo in a supporting role, making her first screen appearance since the triumphs of The Artist.

The main stars of the film though have to be the production team. The action taking place in 1958 and 1959, the team have ensured that each shot looks like the cover from a vintage edition of Vogue. The film drips with style and glamour, from the costumes right down to the decor. This is where the film owes its debt to the magnificent Mad Men, also set with the same era. Even Romain Duris' character is channeling John Hamm's Don Draper, slick and a consistent chain smoker! Quirky like The Artist, with the typing contests being fleshed out with the same excitement and intensity as some of our greatest sporting movies, with even a nod to Hitchcock's masterpiece Vertigo, the film is a triumph of style and substance and forever solidifies my love of not just French cinema, but cinema in its entirety.