Populaire

Populaire (2012) is a French-Belgian romantic comedy you can watch online on iFILM, directed by Régis Roinsard. The film is set in 1958 France, shot in bright candy colors and full of mid-century style — and its central sport is competitive speed typing.

Rose arrives from the countryside to work as a secretary for Louis, an insurance broker played by Romain Duris. She is a poor typist in every way except speed. Louis, a former track champion who misses competition, decides to train her for the national speed-typing championship. What starts as coaching becomes something more complicated, with Déborah François and Duris doing most of the work keeping the tension alive. Bérénice Bejo rounds out the cast as a sharp-tongued best friend.

The film earns its charm by committing fully to the absurdity: a typing contest staged with the gravity of the Tour de France. That straight-faced silliness is exactly what makes it work as a feel-good watch. Stream Populaire online on iFILM.