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Is Netflix's Emily in Paris très bon or non?

Photo credit: COURTESY OF NETFLIX
Photo credit: COURTESY OF NETFLIX

From Digital Spy

Emily in Paris is the latest work from Sex and the City's Darren Star, inspired by his "own lifelong love affair with the city of Paris and culture of France", and you feel that from start to finish.

The French capital looks sumptuous on camera, the series showcasing the very best that the city has to offer, from its sartorial elegance to its magnificent architecture to its delectable food.

And much like the iconic HBO comedy-drama, the Netflix series is also powered by its female characters.

Front and centre is the titular Emily Cooper, played by Lily Collins, a young marketing executive from Chicago who unexpectedly finds herself swapping her life in the Windy City for Gay Paree.

Photo credit: CAROLE BETHUEL/NETFLIX
Photo credit: CAROLE BETHUEL/NETFLIX

The character of Emily was made for Collins. She's the perfect lead – captivating, endearing and punchy. And crucially, she's a woman who likes herself and knows her worth, which is glorious to behold.

But Emily quickly learns that her Parisian dream isn't, well, as dreamy as books and films and music have had her believe.

She's been tasked with revamping the social-media strategy for a luxury French marketing company, but her boss Sylvie (Call My Agent!'s Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu) is waiting for any excuse to fire her, and it'll take more than Emily's dazzling smile to win her, and the rest of her colleagues, over.

Photo credit: CAROLE BETHUEL/NETFLIX
Photo credit: CAROLE BETHUEL/NETFLIX

The "Bitch Boss" stereotype could certainly be levelled at Sylvie. She's not only irritated by Emily's pep and spirit, she's also wracked with jealousy every time she enjoys a professional win.

It doesn't matter what benefits the new girl's efforts bring to the company. If Emily looks good, it's been a bad day for Sylvie.

There are moments when the ice queen melts a little, usually when she's got a glass of champagne or a cigarette in her hand. But just as quickly as we see that side of her, it's snatched away and she's back to her factory setting, chucking death stares and delivering stone-cold verbal takedowns.

Sylvie is one of the clearest indicators that Emily is not in Kansas any more, with smooth-sailing Chicago far behind her. To truly live her best life in Paris, Sylvie represents a boss level (pun fully intended) that Emily must win, which does add a layer of simmering tension to proceedings.

And who doesn't love a spot of drama, after all?

Photo credit: CAROLE BETHUEL/NETFLIX
Photo credit: CAROLE BETHUEL/NETFLIX

Emily's personal life isn't without conflict either.

Newly single, she's swept up in the Parisian dating scene, sampling both the good, and the very, very bad.

Some of her encounters are enough to ward you off dating forever, and the starkest reminder that people don't walk around wearing an 'I'm a Dick' t-shirt. Unfortunately, that's a lesson we must learn all by ourselves.

But really, she only has eyes for her downstairs neighbour Gabriel (Lucas Bravo), who also has a girlfriend, and one that Emily becomes pals with, serving up a deliciously complicated entanglement.

Photo credit: STEPHANIE BRANCHU/NETFLIX
Photo credit: STEPHANIE BRANCHU/NETFLIX

There's a brief moment when the narrative teases the potential for romance between Gabriel's partner Camille (Camille Razat) and Emily, which would have been a delightful twist. But the series chooses to play it safe.

That's not to say that the will-they-won't-they dalliance that we get isn't engaging and sustained throughout the ten episodes, but there was an opportunity to place an LGBTQ+ relationship at the heart of this story, which feels like a missed opportunity.

The cast is also overwhelmingly white, a criticism that SATC has been forced to reckon with over the years, and given that Paris is a multicultural space, it would have been welcome to see more of that.

Photo credit: CAROLE BETHUEL/NETFLIX
Photo credit: CAROLE BETHUEL/NETFLIX

Emily in Paris does trade in an abundance of stereotypes about the French, from a penchant for nicotine to a disdain for hard work. But it also turns the lens on Emily and her Americanisms.

That culture clash between the protagonist and her French counterparts is where much of the comedy stems from, and the tonal approach to both is less scorn and sneer, and more gentle joshing.

All of the action takes place within a world which is, in large parts, a caricature rather than chiming with a reality that many will recognise. It largely favours escapism rather than relatability, although Emily's encounters with the show's male characters will undoubtedly spark discussion about feminism, in particular how perceptions of female empowerment contradict in different communities.

Photo credit: CAROLE BETHUEL/NETFLIX
Photo credit: CAROLE BETHUEL/NETFLIX

But it doesn't demand much of its viewers emotionally, moving swiftly on from the weightier moments scattered throughout.

Emily is faced with countless obstacles during her French adventure, but there's always an answer on the tip of her tongue or an escape route just around the corner.

Given the myriad seemingly unsolvable concerns currently dominating headlines, it's the perfect tonic for these trying and troublesome times.

Emily in Paris arrives on Netflix on Friday, October 2.


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