Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

Good movie but grossly overrated

A Masterpiece!

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

French cinema has movies worth our time, beside those movies that reach our countries, either Spain or the USA, through the big door (ex: "Untouchables", "La Vie en Rose", "Amélie"...). This one is not that big of a film, but nonetheless, is a film worth watching to learn something about that period of time in France and to learn about the typewriting world that now does no longer exist. If you are a Mad Men fan, you will certainly recognize the style, those late 50s and early 60s.In this movie we can appreciate this typewriting world from a woman's point of view, specially this competition world (truth to be told I had no idea that there were these kind of competitions) in France and around the world. Romain Duris is a well-known actor that has made many films in France (shame we don't know him that much), with him we have Déborah François, and when both are on-screen you can feel their chemistry (just try to watch the movie in French, pleaaaase). She is so clumsy and he is so patient, really well-balanced. Moreover, there is Bérénice Bejo, world known for being the female main character in the Oscar-winning movie "The Artist", who gives that touch of glamour to the film.To sum it up, it is a predictable story but who does not like these kind of stories? Its historical context and adaptation plus the actors and actresses performances make it worth watch. And remember, better to watch it in French. I strongly recommend it!!By the way "Populaire" stands for the brand of the typewriting machine.

I went into this film with low hopes and came out pleasantly surprised. I suggest that you go into the film the same way that I did to increase your chances of getting similar satisfying result;)BriefyBeefyFilmSummary: This film is about a girl called Rose, her skill for typewriting and her relationship with her boss/trainer Louis. Louis is a mardy insurance man who struggles to emote because of fact that he's never 'won anything'. He also kind of regrets and dislikes some of the actions and outcomes that occurred in the past. Rose becomes Louis' secretary and she does a terrible job. Luckily Louis notices Rose' skill for typing and decides to pursue his chance of 'winning at something' by entering her in the regional typing competition. But is that really his true motive? I feel that this film could weirdly be best described as the french, romantic, 15 certificate 'Karate kid'. Louis taking the role of Miyagi and Rose taking the role of Daniel(just putting it out there Daniel and Miyagi do not partake in any form of mouth to mouth contact in the motion picture film 'The Karate Kid') This film was cute, stylistic and had a very optimistic story and message. There were also lots of good looking costumes and haircuts which gives the film bonus points from me.Whatever you do do't go into this film expecting some kind of major thrill or drama. Okay there are some minor stir ups but that doesn't count.The film surprisingly discusses a lot about feminism and equal rights with women. This gives it another bonus point because it displays the message in such an uncomfortable yet realistic and funny fashion. I kinda like this.The acting is okay, the characters are okay and their relationships are believable. The script was bizarre at times, funny at times and classic at times(if only it was all three at once throughout corr). niceynice7/10

It's been a while since I wrote a review, but when I saw the low rating for this wonderful movie, I simply had to chime in! This film became an instant favorite of mine because it has all the right elements of a good romantic comedy. Not like the rubbish we Americans make today, but like we used to make when Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant were around. In fact, the lead actress, Déborah François, bears a striking resemblance to Joanne Woodward, Paul Newman's wife, herself a wonderful actress in her own right, as well as Audrey Hepburn. That may be by design, but she fascinates me! The resemblance was the first thing that struck me. The second was the ambiance of the film. The actors seem perfectly cast, and it was easy to believe that they were in fact, set in the 1950s. Without giving away the admittedly simple, yet highly effective story, I found myself guffawing at unexpected moments. Déborah François has great comedic timing, and Romain Duris as her leading man, wisely lets her take the lead.Were it not for a single love scene, I would say that this would have made an excellent family movie. Still, for those 18 and older, it's a wonderful film with a great soundtrack, and oddly enough, includes a character (played by Shaun Benson) who reminded me a lot of Gene Kelly.Enjoy!

Looking round for the fun mutant monster pig French Horror flick Prey to give as an Easter gift to a friend,I decided to take a look at Prey's co-star Bérénice Bejo's credits.Spotting a credit that I had read a good amount of praise for from its screening on BBC4,I decided that it was a good time to find out how popular populaire is.The plot-France 1959:Wanting to get away from working in the local family shop and the marriage that her dad is pushing her to do, Rose Pamphyle decides to leave the small town behind and go to the big city in order to apply for a job as secretary to insurance agency boss Louis Échard.Sitting at a typewriter for the interview, Pamphyle types up a letter at lightning speed,which leads to Échard hiring Pamphyle on the spot.Seeing Pamphyle get into the rhythm of typing, Échard starts to think that Pamphyle could enter the contest/sport where the best (and fastest) typist in France is found. Initially afraid of joining the event, Pamphyle soon begins to type a new chapter in her life.View on the film:Darting across the screen in burning red hair,the gorgeous Bérénice Bejo gives a wonderful performance as Marie Taylor,whose icy queen bee Bejo melts away to reveal something much more delicate. Surrounding Pamphyle with praise as she enters the contest, Romain Duris gives a dashing performance as Échard by casing him in a shell of savvy confidence,which Duris cracks to show Échard wondering how far he should let his feelings for Pamphyle develop.Catching everyone by surprise with her typing skills,the stunning Déborah François gives an alluring performance as Pamphyle.Leaving the village behind, François gives Pamphyle a meek appearance which François splendidly peels away to paint Pamphyle with a fiery passion to do things her own way.Set just as the French New Wave was kicking off,co-writer/(along with Daniel Presley and Romain Compingt) director Régis Roinsard & cinematographer Guillaume Schiffman largely stay away from New Wave flashes, (although they do find room for a small tribute to Hitchcock's Vertigo) to instead tap into the ultra glossy romantic Comedy/Drama movies of the early 60's.Backed by a sweet score from Emmanuel D'Orlando & "Robin" Coudert, (who is usually a fantastic Horror composer) Roinsard & Schiffman lavish the film with an immaculate,chic shine,from sweeping crane shots making the typing contest nail- biting set-pieces,to the ultra-stylised,candy coloured clothes and location vividly popping on the screen.For the blossoming romance between Échard & Pamphyle,the screenplay by Roinsard/ Presley and Compingt keep things largely light and fluffy,but link some great rough edges to keep things from being too sickly sweet,as Pamphyle's attempt to find her own path is found with a delightfully quirky sense of humour.Sliding the genre into the 60's Rom/Drama's,the writers keep a run on the breezy romance with an exciting Sports lap,which along with impressively making type writing look like a stadium-worthy event (!) also leads to Pamphyle discovering how populaire she is.