“The French have no sense of humor.” Actress Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu reclines in her folding chair and looks with a superior mocking smile at the five timid European journalists on screen – just as her formidable TV character Sylvie Grateau would do in the Netflix series Emily in Paris.
The question was what she thought of the criticism that last year about the first season of Emily was poured out. French and American critics almost choked with annoyance at this simplistic accumulation of clichés. In short, junior marketing assistant Emily Cooper is seconded from Chicago to Paris to work with a group of lazy, gossip-sick French snobs and their clients from the sexist world of fashion and luxury brands.
While chef Sylvie can hardly hide her disdain for the uninvited stranger, Emily remains the primal American optimist: fond of flattering selfies and business success, but without a grain of cultural knowledge. She doesn’t speak ten words of French. She hops through her own postcard in sky-high heels and achieves great PR successes with it.
French people have no sense of humor
Philippine Leroy Beaulieu actress
What an annoying little girl. What nasty colleagues. We are not like that! Angry and insulted reactions poured out on both sides, the thin plot lines were ridiculed, the lack of diversity of the cast was lamented, but in the meantime millions of people turned out to just watch: Emily in Paris became one of Netflix’s biggest hits of 2020 and received multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.
“I understood the criticism,” says actor Lucas Bravo, aka Gabriel, the sultry chef who continues to buzz around Emily despite his steady courtship. “I’m a Parisian myself, and if you love the city in all its diversity, it’s frustrating if it’s not portrayed correctly. But criticism is good, it helps you do better. Darren (creator Darren Star, ed.) listened to it when writing season two.”
More of everything
“Darren’s fantasy knows no bounds,” beams Leroy-Beaulieu, who thanks to her roles in Emily and earlier in Dix Pour Cent reached a worldwide audience after decades of French film and TV work. She clearly enjoys it. She likes the fast pace at which the streaming services work. “Everything has to be done quickly, quickly …” She snaps her fingers. “That sense of necessity can create an interesting kind of energy. As an actor, you are also surprised when you get your hands on the latest scripts.”
Surprise the new episodes of Emily in Paris certainly—though it will fuel rather than appease the wrath of the critics. Season two offers more of everything. More culture clashes: Emily keeps bumbling with her French and still commits one faux pas after another. More frenzied outfits: Patricia Field, the New York stylist who made TV history with her daring dressing of the women from Sex and the City, Emily in a range of high fashion designs in all colors of the rainbow.
Criticism is good, it helps you do better
Lucas Bravo actor
More love troubles too: in addition to her faltering flirtation with Gabriel, Alfie turns up in Emily’s language class, a cynical British banker with a very sober view of expat life. Across the board, the supporting roles are given more space, and that is by far the smartest move by writer and producer Darren Star. Star has been inventing slightly provocative ensemble series since the 1990s: Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place and Sex and the City. Emily in Paris now seems to be heading in the same direction: Emily’s friends Mindy and Camille, colleagues Luc and Julien and not to forget chef Sylvie all have their own storylines, and curiously enough, they are often easier to love than the main character.
cartoonish
For Emily interpreter Lily Collins, also involved as a producer on the series, this is by far not her best role. Emily’s lyrics are mostly reactive, her facial expressions and steady cries a bit cartoonish. Who wants to see what Collins is capable of could be better To the Bone watch, an anorexic drama for which she could draw on her own experiences – she reported in Unfiltered (2017), a memoir that also featured her absent, alcoholic father (Genesis drummer Phil Collins).
Also read: Anorexic patient in Netflix movie shouldn’t be a role model
Collins is undeniably a star, with 24.6 million Instagram followers and a rapidly growing list of movie titles to her name. Outwardly she is often compared to Audrey Hepburn, she graces fashion covers and is considered a style icon. As the flag bearer of Emily in Paris she can’t help but defend her character – including during this online press conference.
“Emily is emotional, she is vulnerable, she dares to ask for help, she loves her job, she loves her friends…” And does she also have bad qualities? “Um, gosh, I don’t know exactly.”
All the women in the series are professionally capable, as well as romantically. I love that
Lily Collins actress
“Emily’s eternal optimism can be annoying to people,” intervenes colleague Ashley Park (Mindy). “Not everyone lives for their work the way they do. But what annoys Mindy most about Emily is that she doesn’t really stand up for herself. In your maturing as a woman, it is crucial to figure out what makes you happy and to follow your own path.”
How socially relevant is the series? Collins: “During the pandemic, many of us have had to learn to market products and information online, and Emily excels at that. All the women in the series are professionally capable, as well as romantically. I love that. But above all, we hope to offer some lightness and positivity during this difficult period.” Park: “The show is a mix of aspiration and escapism, of travel, beauty, fun. A five-hour escape with your friends from the first season.”
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