Title: Populaire
Director: Régis Roinsard
Starring: Romain Duris, Déborah François, Bérénice Bejo, Mélanie Bernier, Nicolas Bedos, Shaun Benson.
The magic of the fifties, a fairytale on the blooming modern woman, with la douce France as romantic scenario, this is the delightful comedy and first feature film by Régis Roinsard.
‘Populaire’ is set in 1958. Rose is a terrible secretary but an outstanding typist. Her magnetising boss, Louis Echard, resolves to turn her into the fastest girl in the world. Just like Henry Higgins with Eliza Doolittle, Louis serves as Pygmalion to the tomboy and childlike Rose, moulding her not only into an emancipated woman, but paving her way to stardom.
Bright pastel colours are the ones that Roinsard picks from his palette to portray France during industrialisation, marked by the rhythm of the “Populaire” typewriter, where the buttons of the letterpress printing machine match those of the nail polish used by the apprentice secretary.
Irony, romance, drama, music, candour, are the ingredients that create this truly scrumptious île flottante of vintage France. The cast is very well selected from the delightful and funny Déborah François, to the charming Romain Duris, from the mesmerising Bérénice Bejo to every single character actor of the little village of Normandy, hometown of Rose.
The vibe of Paris, the ugly duckling approaching swandom and the Ovid-Shaw archetype recall the movie ‘Funny Face.’ Just as the leitmotiv of the entire story, “Think Pink:” since the protagonist is named Rose, it feels appropriate to say that Régis Roinsard captures maturation throughout the entire Vie En “Rose.”
Technical: A-
Acting: B++
Story: B+
Overall: A-
Written by: Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi
