Populaire

It's been ages since I saw a non-American movie (okay, days, but I'm not counting Asian one in this post), but besides Russian stuff, I think I like French the best, because Russian and French are the two languages I understand enough to enjoy. Maja's choice of the week was Populaire, though Lone Ranger would have been the more obvious choice of a popcorn summer flick. I am very glad we agreed on Populaire, though. That movie was just ADORABLE!

     It's a very light romantic dramedy, with the lead heroine being the most cheerful person I've seen since .. Amelie. There were several situations in which my American-movies-trained-brain would have expected a completely different result, but the french are way too relaxed and at times really oddly passionate. There's a scene in which he slaps her and it's fine. Also, a scene in which he very explicitly fondles her breasts, and that's made so nicely, too. And of course my favourite scene - when he sneaks into her room to return a bra she left behind in a washer - indeed a really awkward setting to be found in, but instead of freaking out, assuming he's a perv, she just laughs. "I have a pair of matching panties, if you're looking for a set?" :D That was just so cute!!!

The story is about a small village girl, smart and lovely, but lonely, who secretly teachers herself to type to become an adventurous, modern woman secretary. Although she is ghastly bad as a secretary and really incredibly clumsy, she is a champion self-taught typist. Her alright, but emotionally troubled boss convinces her to enlist on a typing championship and after a year of tutoring, she starts to win national. But he still has issues and she learns the world isn't all that's cracked up to be when you're alone, even if on covers of magazines, so of course they get back together. It's not a depressing story at all. It's incredibly uplifting. Both actors - all of them, in fact even the horrid American-french Shaun Benson's Bob is adorable. The casting is fairly caricatured, but that's okay.

Also some of the best bits: When she mentions she might have ruined the shredder. When he paints her fingernails as a lesson. The fact that her dad never actually sells the typewriter. The fashion, oh my GOds! How I love that fashion! I somehow always see Carrie Ann-Moss in that, I have no idea why (Maybe Fido?), but I really like that period. The mid fifties. I would look awful in it, because I am shaped like a sheep, but my camera would be drooling every day. So would Sartorialists.