MFFF MOVIE REVIEW: POPULAIRE

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Young Rose Pamphyle has left her little provincial town for Paris. She starts working as a receptionist for an insurance company, whose handsome owner Louis Echard immediately notices her talent for typing. As Rose is basically hopeless doing anything else, he decides to nourish her talent and prepare her for the international typing competition.

POPULAIRE is a love letter to the films of 50s with nostalgic Panavision colours, over the top fashion and romance that never quite breaks out of its fairy tale cage.

With it’s classic PIGMALEON set up, where typing replaces voice coaching, the movie leads us to familiar territory where a master falls in love with his creation with all the outcomes that follow.

Movie is fast paced with snappy dialogues and some show stealing supporting performances (dinner scene with Louis’s parents being a real treat). 

 Young Belgian actress Deborah Francois can be a great Elisa Doolittle and as the tagline of the film promises “strikes all the right keys”.

While it is easy to fall in love with POPULAIRE and it’s quirky premise, it hardly has any review values. With next to know surprises in store, it is a guilty pleasure that can easily make you jump out of your seat and cheer, but is as easily forgotten.



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