Movie Review - Populaire

Populaire *** ( R) Those who pine for the kind of romantic comedies that starred a Doris Day opposite a Rock Hudson or Rod Taylor in the 1960s will probably savor this mostly-subtitled French offering, set in the same era. Romain Duris has a small business in Paris. In need of a new secretary, he hires a fresh-faced country girl (Deborah Francois) despite her klutziness and naivete, because she happens to be a typing whiz, even while using only her index fingers. Duris decides to become the Henry Higgins of digital dexterity, overseeing intensive training for an international speed typing contest the French have never won. She eagerly accepts the role of his Eliza, and persists through its physical and emotional challenges.

Their professional and personal courses run true to genre form, but the execution is charmingly nostalgic, with the added freshness of its foreign setting. The competition scenes are surprisingly exciting for a room full of women pounding keyboards on little tables. Francois and Duris are appealing enough for their parts. Like the TV series Mad Men, the film reminds us how dramatically sex roles have evolved in the past 50 years, though in a fluffier package. Those seismic shifts seem even greater than the transitions in equipment from manual to electric to computers for the clerical craft.

Berenice Bejo, who co-starred in the recent multi-Oscar-winning The Artist enhances the proceedings with a solid supporting role as appears as a close friend of the stars. This one won’t approach the popularity or acclaim of that gem, but it’s still a treat for viewers of a certain chronological or emotional age, who tend to be slighted by most of the industry’s offerings. (9/27/13)