Populaire Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Populaire Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 2, 2013

Regis Roinsard's directorial debut "Populaire" (2012) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Entertainment One /Momentum Pictures. The supplemental features on the disc include five short featrurettes with comments from cast and crew members. In French, with optional English and English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Rose

The year is 1958, the location a small French town where nothing exciting ever happens. Here people live quiet and mostly trouble-free lives and know everything there is to know about each other.

Seriously frustrated with her life, young and charming Rose Pamphyle (Deborah François, Le moine, L'enfant) travels to Lisieux in Normandy and meets insurance agent Louis Echard (Romain Duris, L'auberge espagnole, The Big Picture), who is looking to hire the perfect secretary. Despite serious competition, Rose manages to impress Louis with her typing skills and wins a week-long trial in his office after she agrees to appear in the area’s speed-typing championship.

Soon after, Louis invites Rose in his lavish country villa where she can better train for the upcoming championship. While discussing different typing techniques Louis and Rose fall madly in love, but both are afraid to admit how they feel about each other. Sensing that Rose isn’t completely focused on her training, Louis repeatedly warns her that her future depends on it.

Meanwhile, Louis’ best friend Bob (Shaun Benson, K-19: The Widowmaker) and his charming wife Marie (Berenice Bejo, The Artist) decide to bet real money against Rose. But she surprises everyone and makes Louis believe that she could even go to America to face the reigning speed-typing champion.

Régis Roinsard’s directorial debut, Populaire, is a fast, very bright and very colorful film that should appeal to viewers who enjoyed Yann Samuell’s Love Me If You Dare. Both films are so obsessed with sugary romance that even though their scripts are seriously flawed one cannot but admire their genuine desire to make their audience feel good.

I much prefer Populaire. The gorgeous period designs, outfits, hairstyles and of course the terrific soundtrack make this film look like a giant candy box in which there is something tasty for everyone. Occasionally the sweet goodies feel a bit too sweet – I felt dizzy during the final twenty minutes – but enduring the cliched exchanges isn’t difficult. (Populaire is exactly the type of film a guy can easily impress a girl with and still enjoy the experience).

The fact that there is great chemistry between Francois and Duris also helps a great deal. At first the former looks appropriately naive, stiff and slightly annoying, but later on she looks absolutely spectacular. Duris’ transformation from a cocky boss into a man madly in love is also very convincing. Bejo, yet again looking very elegant, has a small but very important role as well.

The film is beautifully lensed by cinematographer Guillaume Schiffman, who also lensed Michel Hazanavicius’ multiple Oscar winning hit The Artist. (Schiffman also collaborated with Joann Sfar’s equally dazzling Gainsbourg).

The film’s chic soundtrack features such great tracks as Jaqueline Boyer’s classic “Le Tango des Illusions”, Leroy Anderson’s “Forgotten Dreams”, Clive Richardson’s “Girl on the Calendar”, and Les Baxter’s unforgettable “The Pearls of Ceylon”.

Note: Earlier this year, Populaire earned five Cesar nominations, Best First Film, Best Cinematography, and Best Costume Designs.

Populaire Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Regis Roinsard's Populaire arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Entertainment One/Momentum Pictures.

The film's original aspect ratio appears to be 2.39:1, but the high-definition transfer this release uses is framed in 1.85:1. However, the film is very carefully framed and it never feels as if crucial information is missing. This leads me to believe that the film might have been intentionally re-framed for the UK home video market, possibly with the knowledge of its creators. I plan to contact Entertainment One and request additional information that clarifies what was done and why.

Depth and clarity are outstanding. During close-ups as well as during larger panoramic shots detail is always quite impressive. Color reproduction also does not disappoint - there is a wide range of wonderful very warm and always natural looking reds, blues, greens, browns, and yellows. Furthermore, there are absolutely no traces of problematic digital corrections. Overall image stability is also excellent. In fact, the film consistently looks remarkably tight. Lastly, there are no serious compression issues to report in this review. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

Populaire Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and French LPCM 2.0. Also included on this release is an English Descriptive Audio LPCM 2.0 track. For the record, Entertainment One/Momentum Pictures have provided optional English and English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Both come in different sizes.

The 5.1 track is vastly superior to the 2.0 track. It has excellent depth and an outstanding range of nuanced dynamics. Surround movement will not impress viewers who appreciate the type of movement Blu-ray releases of major blockbusters typically have, but there is more than enough that could surprise casual viewers. The dialog is always crisp, very clean, stable, and easy to follow. The English translation is excellent.

Populaire Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• To Begin With - director Regis Roinsard quickly explains how Populaire came to exist. In French, with optional English subtitles. (3 min).

• The Love Story - Regis Roinsard, Romain Duris, and Deborah Francois discuss the romantic overtones in Populaire and its main protagonists. In French, with optional English subtitles. (2 min).

• The 50s - Regis Roinsard, Romain Duris, Deborah Francois, cinematographer Guillaume Schiffman, and production designer Sylvie Olive discuss the unique period look of Populaire. In French, with optional English subtitles. (3 min).

• A Romantic and Sports Comedy - Regis Roinsard, Deborah Francois, Romain Duris, and producer Alain Attal discuss the real typing competitions that were so popular during the '50s. In French, with optional English subtitles. (3 min).

• Typists Rule - a look at the different typing machines seen in Populaire. In French, with optional English subtitles. (3 min).

Populaire Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Populaire is a light and very beautiful period comedy that is perfect to see with someone special. The film arrives on Blu-ray framed in 1.85:1, not in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1, but the framing is actually very convincing. Despite the fact that there is a French Blu-ray release which apparently has the film present in 2.39:1, I wonder if the new framing for the UK release is intentional. I will try to get additional information from and will update the review. For the time being, I have no problem recommending this release. RECOMMENDED.