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Fall in Lourve with Netflix’s ‘Emily in Paris
REVIEWS Fall in Lourve with Netflix’s ‘Emily in Paris’
By Valerie McHugh
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At a time where jetting off on a weekend ‘city break’ is the subject of our wildest dreams, this series provides a much needed holiday from reality. From the creator of ‘Sex in the City’ (1998) and ‘Beverly Hills 90210’ (1990), this comedy - drama follows a young American, Emily Cooper, as she moves from Chicago to Paris to work as a Social Media Strategist at the French Marketing Firm, Savoir. From homesick struggles to lovesick shenanigans, Emily learns about the ways of the world in a place outside of The Windy City and faces numerous challenges, from hostile co - workers to cumbrous friendships.
Before watching anything, I like to take a look at the critical response to the show on my favourite website – Rotten Tomatoes. This show scored respectively on the tomatometer, reaching 65% on average, with an audience
By Niamh Feeney
If you’re looking for an emotional rollercoaster of a read look no further! You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll die of second-hand embarrassment, but what more could you ask for in a good book? Some of you may only know John Boyne for his heart wrenching masterpiece, ‘The Boy in The Striped Pyjamas’, but what if I was to tell you that his career didn’t end there? If you’re not familiar with ‘The Boy in The Striped Pyjamas’, then let this be the book you remember Boyne for.
I have only recently discovered this deeply-moving novel, ‘The Heart’s Invisible Furies’, and it has shot right to the top of my Five-Star Recommendations list! ‘The Heart’s invisible Furies’ is about love, loss, betrayal, oppression, and redemption. I was hooked from the get-go, captivated and mesmerized by the opening sentence:
By Anastasia Burton
Where do we start with Borat? The name rings a distant bell in everyone’s mind, and everyone remembers the hilariously idiotic journalist from Kazakhstan and his adventures in the USA with a dream of meeting Pamela Anderson. The original film came out in 2006 and caused massive waves with its offensive and cringe moments which made us go “he did not just say that”. We were given some years to recover from our initial shock from the first Borat movie, but now the second part is out, and once again causing waves across the globe!
If you thought the first movie was bad, this one is worse, and by bad we don’t mean score of 62%. However the French newspaper 20 Minutes slammed the show for being too “cliché.” That may be the case, but let’s be honest here. Every TV show known to man will have
“Long before we discovered that he had fathered two children by two different women, one in Drimoleague and one in Clonakility, Father James Monroe stood on the altar of the Church of Our Lady, Star of the Sea, in the parish of Goleen, west Cork, and denounced my mother as a whore”.
Sixteen years old, pregnant, and unwed, Catherine Goggin gets a one-way ticket to Dublin in hope for a better life, and so begins the story of Cyril Avery. This coming-of-age novel is structured in seven-year intervals. The first chapter begins in post-war Ireland in 1945, where shame and judgement are everywhere. Boyne perfectly captures the oppression by the Catholic Church, the struggles of the LGBTQ+ community, the violence of The Troubles, and the AIDS Crisis in the 7 decades of Cyril’s life. It is told in a comedic style rather than a tragedy, which, truth be told, is what Cyril’s life really is. its haters, and although the show does cast light on everything from bérets to baguettes, the addictive and entertaining storyline speaks for itself.
The series brings some lesser known European actors to Netflix’s forefront, and performances from Philippine Leroy - Beaulie, Camille Razat and Lucas Bravo were memorable to new viewers. Lucas Bravo, who plays the charming and chivalrous chef Gabriel, has grown in popularity on Instagram since its release, with his following now standing at 1.2 million. Also, anyone who has seen any Lily Collins movie… ever…will know that the 2017 Golden Globe Nominee certainly does not disappoint and portrayed the part of tenacious Emily Cooper perfectly.
It was the fashionable and trés chic outfits that stood out to me the most while watching this series. I haven’t seen this much high street fashion since the ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ (2006) and ‘Gossip Girl’ (2007) era, and it was eve-
Throughout the novel we see Cyril trying, and failing, to fit into an Irish society that will not accept him for who he is, a gay man. This repression and loneliness is heartbreaking and it will have you weeping. We see Cyril enter into relationships with women (the hilarious Mary - Margaret Muffet, and the unlucky Alice Woodbead) in order to hide his true sexual identity. Ashamed to express who he is, Cyril not only struggles with the fact that homosexuality is illegal in Ireland, but he is also constantly reminded, by his adoptive family, that he is “not really an Avery”. So, who is Cyril then? A character who is forced to conceal his true identity. He is constantly betrayed, abandoned, and deceived by those around him.
I thoroughly enjoyed Boyne’s skilful writing; creating the perfect balance of lightheartedness mixed in with the genuine misery Cyril faces. From his over-the-top coincidences and dramatic scenes, to the accurate representation that it’s a bad movie, it’s just very offensive. Now, remember how in the first movie the themes of sexism, slight racism, and inability to adjust to a more progressive country were what made Borat so horrible but amazing at the same time? Well, multiple it by five and you’ve got Borat 2. The sexism is tripled with Borat using his daughter (who lives in a cage) to become a gift to one of Donald Trump’s wing men. The film focused on Borat’s daughter Tutar and her discovery that women can drive and that her vagina does not have teeth. Throughout the film Borat goes to Trump rallies where one of the supporters uses a Nazi salute. His face of course covered... but does that change the fact that these people were not paid actors, they were actual citrything I didn’t know I needed in my life. Lily Collins strutted the streets of Paris in every type of pencil skirt, vibrant colour and mesmerising pattern possible, making her character something of a style icon. The proof lies in the recent spooky season which saw multiple people dress up as the fashionista for Hallowe’en. Sure, we didn’t go trick or treating this year, but getting a chance to give some of our favourite frocks a spin out of the closet was enough of a treat itself.
Emily Cooper’s fashion sense mirrors her feisty and charismatic character, and just like her fashion sense, her peers seem to either ‘love’ her or ‘hate’ her. This series highlights many of Emily’s relationships as she tries to settle into a new city. It looks at friendship, the classic frenemy bond, and the lustful connection between a girl and the boy next door. However, it is Emily’s relationship with her boss Sylvie that amuses me the most, overof Irishness portrayed in his characters, Boyne has it all. He writes hilarious dialogues using typical Irish slangs that will have you in stitches.
How can you not laugh at some of the absolute nonsense we speak? Boyne’s izens of America who were singing along with a song that was meant to provoke racism, sexism and homophobia? That scene must be one of the worst scenes in Borat and one that will definitely make you uncomfortable upon your next visit to the United States of America.
Another memorable moment worth mentioning was when Tutar invited Rudy Giuliani for an interview. He is the former Mayor of New York City and an attorney who has a close friendship with Trump. Towards the end of the film Borat comes to the realization that Tutar does not have to sell herself to a rich American politician to be somebody and goes to rescue her from Rudy. The funny thing is that Mr. Giuliani was not in on the show nor was he whelming me with plenty of ‘Miranda Priestly’ vibes. Emily can’t do enough for Sylvie, and never seems to impress her as much as she would like to despite having creative and innovative ideas. Their bond is something that I watched eagerly throughout the show, and it will not disappoint viewers who love the underdog in any scenario.
Speaking of underdogs, in some ways this show has proven to be underestimated in its popularity. Due to some critical response from French journalists, some people have been reluctant to give the series a chance. But that did not stop ‘Emily in Paris’ from remaining the fifth most popular TV show in Ireland during the week of the 2nd of November, exactly one month after its release. So, why not give it a chance? This show will appeal to many audiences, from the hopeless romantics to those they make watch it with them. Give this show a chance, consider this
review a Seine. skilful storytelling makes you laugh at all the wrong moments, and cry at the right.
You can’t help but root for Cyril, especially towards the end of the novel, when after so many years of concealing desires and emotions he is finally liberated. Cyril’s story begins to wind down in 2015, fitting as it was the year the samesex marriage referendum was passed in Ireland. Boyne conveys to us through his characters just how far Ireland has progressed with equality, and he offers an important message: that even the most unlikely change is never unachievable.
Full of tears, anger, and lols, I was devastated when I finished reading this book. I really wish it was longer! This book took me just a few days to read, it was that addicting. Don’t let the fact that it’s 700 pages deter you! If you loved this book as much as I did, you should check out John Boyne’s other
Film Review: Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.
novel, ‘The History of Loneliness’. aware that Tutar was not a real journalist. Towards the end of their interview Tutar invited Rudy to the bedroom of the hotel room to take off the recording equipment. During this scene Rudy is seen with his hands down his pants as though expecting something further to happen, when suddenly Borat dashes in and announces that Tutar is too old for him and that Borat himself has a very tight... backside.
All in all, the film is an 11/10 must watch, the sheer offensiveness of the show and the iconic character back for another round is delightful... not to mention there is a huge twist at the end. You are sure to cringe, laugh, think “he did not just do that” and lots more. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions you’re sure to miss when it’s over!
