Populaire (2012)
A French comedy, set in the late 1950s, and centering around a typing championship? Yes, bizarre, and warm and funny. I liked it a lot.
The star here is the completely delightful Deborah Francois, who is cast and who acts a bit like an Audrey Hepburn type, which is a total compliment. Not that Francois needs that kind of comparison—she takes on the task of learning to type with enormous focus and humble prowess. With two fingers. And she almost wins a competition that way.
Enter the other star, a bigger name in France, Romain Duris. He's a comic oddball, meant to be very handsome but not a hunk (sorry Romain). He depends on his wry, underplayed humor to win the hearts of the females in each movie—and in the audience. He takes on Francois with the idea of teaching her to use all her fingers and maybe, with some serious athletic training, compete for the big time. At typing.
It's a farce, but overflowing with charm. The sets and colors are wonderful per- 60s "gay" and light. French style. There is an ongoing critique built in (in a watery way) about how women in that era have typing as their ultimate goal. And typing for men. The irony (and falseness) are apparent.
There is inevitably a troubled romance that gets stirred in the mix—and it's a classic mismatch made in heaven.
In all, well done, funny, and smart. And styling right to the end with the big finale—well, I can't say where or why. See it.
