‘Emily in Paris’: Sugary-sweet confection that works

Lily Collins reminds of Anne Hathaway and not because she resembles her since she does not. Like Hathaway, she has an inbuilt vivacity that sparkles whenever she appears on the screen.

In ‘Emily in Paris’, a ten-episode comedy-drama created by Darren Star and streaming on Netflix, Collins plays the protagonist and also serves as one of the producers. The story doesn’t have much to write home about, yet the series is eminently watchable because of what it offers.

Emily Cooper, a purposeful young employee of an American marketing firm, is sent to Paris after her company acquires a similar business there. Emily is passionate about work, but she doesn’t know French.

Her co-workers in Paris see her as an outsider, while her dominant boss Sylvie (Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu) cannot suffer her presence.

Outside her workplace, Emily is fascinated by the sights and sounds of Paris. She becomes friendly with a Chinese girl Mindy (Ashley Park), whose affluent father is the ‘zipper king’ in her native country. Mindy has relinquished the charms of wealth and relocated to Paris where she works as a nanny.

Emily soon realises that work culture in Paris is vastly different from that in Chicago. She reports to work at 8.30 am and is surprised at the sight of an empty office. Later, her co-worker would inform her that work begins in her new surroundings at 10.30 am.

She rents a tiny apartment whose bathroom has a shower that stops functioning soon. The plumber informs her that the shower will be repaired after he finds those parts that can replace the damaged ones, which will take a few days. Once she hears it, she is shocked.

Men in Paris are famously flirtatious. She comes across Antoine (William Abadie), a wealthy perfumer, during one of her professional interactions. Antoine, who is married and has a mistress who happens to be Sylvie, likes her instantly and sends her a bikini as a gift. That leaves her stunned.

Emily had a boyfriend back home, but the two of them break up not much after she lands in Paris. She has a handsome neighbour Gabriel (Lucas Bravo) who lives downstairs in her building. She gets attracted to him, and his response is similar. The thing is, he has a sweet girlfriend who is friends with Emily.

Emily in Paris offers a touristy experience of the place to the viewer. Those who have been to the city, therefore, will find parts of it boring. That said, the experiences of the protagonist who conquers many odds, which includes dealing with a ruthless and insecure boss, keep us engaged.

A second season of this series should arrive soon. In the meantime, binge-watch the first ten episodes that are available on the OTT platform.