The strength of Populaire lies in the atmosphere of the period and the accurate depiction (at least it seems to be) of France in the late 50's.
On the content, it is less enthusiastic. The movie is quite uneven, alternating between good, dynamic passages, and a lot more heavy ones weighing down the rhythm. The plot is, in the end, relatively conventional, predictable and struggles rather quickly, so much that one starts to switch off after barely the hour mark. The last 30 minutes are particularly laborious and give the impression that Roinsard didn't know where to go nor how to end his story.
One could have also appreciated stronger and more developed supporting characters because the Duris-François duo, though effective and complementary, is a bit alone.
On the content, it is less enthusiastic. The movie is quite uneven, alternating between good, dynamic passages, and a lot more heavy ones weighing down the rhythm. The plot is, in the end, relatively conventional, predictable and struggles rather quickly, so much that one starts to switch off after barely the hour mark. The last 30 minutes are particularly laborious and give the impression that Roinsard didn't know where to go nor how to end his story.
One could have also appreciated stronger and more developed supporting characters because the Duris-François duo, though effective and complementary, is a bit alone.