Vincent and I binge watched the new series, Emily in Paris, on Netflix last Friday.
Emily in Paris, written and created by Darren Star, who also created Sex and the City, tells the tale of Emily Cooper, a wide-eyed, American millennial, who is a junior assistant at a Chicago based marketing company, who is suddenly whisked to Paris to work at an upscale, luxury marketing company. Emily arrives in Paris without knowing anyone or a word of French and moves into a chamber de bonne on the fifth floor of a building in the 5th arrondissement without an elevator. Eagerly climbing up to the fourth floor instead of the fifth floor in 5” spike heels, Emily thinks she’s arrived at her new apartment, when she meets her first French hunk du jour, Gabriel. In an awkward but flirtatious moment, he tells her that her apartment is on the floor above.
Soon after Emily arrives at her new office near the Palais Royal and receives a chilly reception, especially from her dismissive and intimidating new boss, a chic, confident French woman in her 50s who immediately takes Emily down. Emily, who has only had experience in the pharmaceutical world so far, is mercilessly thrown into the elite, high fashion and luxury world of Paris without a net, and the results are funny, humiliating, and triumphant.
In Emily’s personal life, her straight as an arrow fiancé in Chicago, breaks up with her on the phone because he’s too much of a square and a coward to have a long-distance relationship. She’s now primed to have a love affair with a Frenchie, and she fumbles and stumbles through the sometimes thorny and horny minefield of the rules and no rules of the Paris dating game .
Emily, played by the beautiful Lily Collins, and is also one of the producers, is in almost every scene, is a joy to watch. Her bright, bubbly personality is nuanced and balanced with moments of vulnerability, sadness, and frustration. She also has that charismatic, star quality and she shines in every scene.
Once again, Darren Star has visualized and executed a fantasy world where everyone is sexy, good looking, and well dressed, and every office, store, location, and background is Instagram picture perfect. This is Star’s milieu and what he does best. My friend Pat Fields, from New York, who did the costumes and wardrobe for Sex and the City, again dazzles us with her kaleidoscope of colorful and eye-popping clothes and accessories for the cast and creates a fabulous look for Lily Collins. I had dinner with Pat one-night last year when the show was shooting here, and she shared about how she shopped for and created the clothes for the show.
I also like the fact that the entire show was filmed in Paris with a French crew, so there’s no phony backgrounds or cheesy Hollywood sets.
Yes, there’s plenty of stereotypes and clichés, but most of them are accurate, and I’ve experienced plenty of them. Sometimes they are exaggerated for sure, but remember, this is a comedy.
The critics have thrashed the show for many reasons, especially for the implausibility and unbelievable story lines and characters, and its inappropriateness for the time we live. Yes, I can certainly pick away at all of its imperfections and inaccuracies, but I watched it at face value and went along for the joy ride without looking at the ground or reality below.
In the harsh reality of the world right now, Emily in Paris is a welcome escape, a mandatory guilty pleasure, and a fun-filled romp, so go ahead and binge!
I forgot to mention yesterday that My partner Vincent Gagliostro has two short films screening on A Shaded View of Fashion Film Festival
Great review of Emily in Paris! I was afraid I wouldn’t like it and ended up loving it for the lightness and laughter it provoked. Perfect binge material!
How cool that you know Pat Fields! She lives in mjy building in NYC but I have yet to meet her.
Posted by: Kasia Dietz | October 06, 2020 at 10:59 AM
I was about to scroll past this film as it didn't look like my 'thing' but having read your review, I now reckon I've got a happy evening planned - merci
Posted by: Kate Beswick | October 06, 2020 at 04:57 PM
You are so right! I did not think I would like it one bit but managed to blow my way through it and smile the whole way.
Posted by: Brigitte | October 06, 2020 at 06:57 PM
I admit to binging with Emily in Paris. What a welcome reprieve from today’s messed up world!
Posted by: Sydney athis | October 07, 2020 at 09:29 AM