Join the Washington DC Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, Sep 22nd at 4:30 for Populaire at the Landmark E Street Cinema . Look for Brian A. wearing a gray t-shirt in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.
Populaire is an effervescent French homage to the playful romantic comedies of the 1950s, with the sly humor, vibrant color and spirited music of the era, evoking a period that became a turning point in the working lives of women around the world. Shy and awkward, 21-year-old Rose Pamphyle (Deborah Francois) dreams of being a secretary, but in Normandy in 1958, life beyond the confines of wife and mother seems impossible. Determined to succeed on her own terms, Rose leaves her quaint village for the nearby town of Lisieux, where her nimble two-fingered typing prompts local insurance agent Louis Echard (Romain Duris, Heartbreaker, The Beat That My Heart Skipped) to hire her as his assistant. Disorganized, clumsy and absent-minded, Rose proves to be a disaster as secretary, but a savant as a typist, even just pecking away with two fingers. The fiercely competitive Louis insists that she enter in a speed-typing contest if she wants to keep her job. Installing himself as her coach, he relentlessly drives her toward becoming the fastest typist in Franceperhaps even the world! But as the small-town girl becomes a world-class contender under Louis’ tutelage, Rose realizes what she really wants and goes for it with the same verve and energy she brings to the keyboard. Also starring Berenice Bejo (The Artist). (Fully subtitled)