REVIEW - POPULAIRE

I guess you could call Populaire 'a crowd-pleasing French version of The Artist'... oh no wait, that's just The Artist. So it's 'The Artist but with sound!'... wait, that's still The Artist. Maybe 'The Artist... but better!' will do. The comparisons aren't baseless - both star Berenice Bejo, both are shot by Guillaume Schiffman and both are shameless attempts to win the world over with nostalgia. Where Populaire succeeds and The Artist stumbles is in Populaire's dedication to its concept. This is not an update, a reinvention, a new twist on a classic tale. It's a perfect, and perfectly twee example of conventionality spun into something smooth, slick, spherical and, well, conventional. Another comparison: if Far from Heaven was a modern story told in a retro style, Populaire is a retro story told in a modern style, although precious little has changed since the 1950s in many regards. There's a steamier sex scene than you would have expected 60 years ago, but you don't hire Romain Duris for your feature and expect him to keep his clothes on, do you? And so what if you know, almost scene by scene, precisely how Populaire is going to unfold? It does so with such panache, such brio, such joie de vivre that only the cruellest of cynics will be able to resist its candy-coloured couture costumes and sparkling soundtrack. What's the harm in making an Audrey Hepburn rom-com in the 21st Century? If you're the type to get in a twizzle over Paris When It Sizzles, this one's for you. In the lead, Deborah Francois (imagine a cross between Mia Wasikowska and January Jones, but with talent) is an utter joy, possessed of comic timing the likes of which I can't remember seeing in any recent films. She's unspeakably good. It's the best comedy performance in a very long time.