From the jaunty opening tune to the colourfully stylised introductory credits, Populaire embraces the gorgeous aesthetics of its period setting, its imagery resplendent in the finest 1950s details. In its blatant cultivation of romantic comedy idylls and a saccharine atmosphere, this frothy French confection also inhabits the temperament of its time, affable clichés and abundant charm included.
In Normandy in 1958, working as a secretary is the trend du jour, as is the fashion – all discerning glasses, subtle make-up, and controlled hairstyles – that accompanies the position. Seeking a life beyond her father’s village store, Rose Pamphyle (Déborah François, Going Away) earns her first job by impressing insurance agency head Louis Échard (Romain Duris, Mood Indigo) with her fast typing and fresh attitude. In her fleet index-finger keystrokes, he sees not just an efficient office administrator, but also the chance for competitive glory.
In the fairytale world of the film, if not in the reality of its temporal setting, speed typing is a serious sport. Louis encourages Rose to pursue the thrill of the contest, her skills prospering through his support. As her talents bloom, so do his affections; of course, success in both areas is far from assured. Montages demonstrate their progress: she pounds away at the keys; he warms to her presence; his friends – his former girlfriend Marie (Bérénice Bejo, The Past), now married to his best pal Bob Taylor (Shaun Benson, Home Sweet Home) – watch on.
Writer/director Régis Roinsard and his co-scribes Daniel Presley and Romain Compingt anchor their high-concept content in the standard stereotypes and spirited interplay of their characters. The first film from each is firmly in the mould of the screwball comedies of the era, to the extent that it plays like an homage. Rose seeks independence beyond the small-town life as a mechanic’s wife that her father desires for her. Louis enjoys his playboy lifestyle, overtly adverse to any form of commitment. Their differences define them, but also bring them together – all as a result of the constant chatter of the typewriter.
The fantasy of Populaire outweighs any attempts at feminist statements, though its comic sensibilities remain apparent. Never taking its exaggerated premise too seriously, the film offers spirited asides to its depiction of women as amorous pawns and assistants, but these lack weight amid its ample whimsy. Pastel-painted confines heighten the illusory and hinder any sense of importance – though light-hearted frivolity is all the feature is meant to be. That the sweetness is so heavily immersed in the flippancy is a disappointment; absent from the imitative efforts is the sting of its forebears, and the earned sentiment of their conclusions.
The ever-pleasant Duris and François have each demonstrated their abilities in better fare, him in The Beat My Heart Skipped and Heartbreaker, her in The Child and Unmade Beds, but they make for a charismatic pairing. Indeed, their affectionate portrayals combine with the feature’s other highlight – its adoring essaying of visual detail – to lift an otherwise flimsy but fun tribute to sugary flights of fancy and cheesy romance.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Populaire
Director: Régis Roinsard
France, 2012, 111 mins
Alliance Francaise French Film Festival
www.affrenchfilmfestival.org
Sydney: 4 – 23 March
Melbourne: 5 – 23 March
Canberra: 6 – 25 March
Brisbane: 6 – 25 March
Perth: 18 March – 6 April
Adelaide: 20 March – 8 April
Byron Bay: 24 – 28 April
