Populaire

A romantic comedy set in France at the end of the 1950s. Rose works in her father's shop in the provinces. She wants out of the town and applies for a secretarial job at an insurance office. She is hopeless at the interview, but one thing is noticed: she types extraordinarily fast. With one finger, but very fast. Louis, the boss, hires her and makes a proposal: she will enter speed typing contests and he will train her. In return she keeps her job. The training sections are built like a sports film: finger exercises, work on tempo, endurance and the study of rivals. Rose passes the regional contests and reaches the national level. Meanwhile something starts between the two and Louis will not have it; a loss in his own past keeps him at a distance. Visually the film looks to the advertisements of the period and to colourful American comedy: the costumes, the wallpaper and the models of typewriter are carefully chosen. Déborah François plays Rose and Romain Duris plays Louis. Bérénice Bejo is in the cast. Régis Roinsard directed; it is his first feature. A pleasant choice for anyone who likes period comedy and unusual competition films. For a viewer expecting depth, the narrative follows the patterns of its genre and its ending shows early.