By Eric Valentine
It will be a while before we potentially virus-infected Americans are allowed to step foot overseas again. So if you’re looking to get your fix of one of the world’s benchmark cities, put away the suitcase and break out your favorite streaming device. Traveling vicariously is as good as it’s going to get until some time in 2021. It’s a good thing Paris is, as Ernest Hemingway described it, “a moveable feast.”
What follows are some available films and TV shows that will satisfy your cravings a bit. Let’s dig in.
Emily in Paris
Available on Netflix, this series of 10, roughly 30-minute episodes can serve as much-needed lighthearted entertainment in these wintry times. It stars a young and upcoming actress, Lily Collins (Phil Collins’ daughter, as a matter of fact), as an American marketing assistant who is sent to Paris to help her ad agency coordinate the new partnership with its Parisian office.
The storyline is nothing new, but it is smartly written, touching on all American and Parisian stereotypes in a comedic and honest way—a true anthropological exploration of societal norms. If that doesn’t interest you, watch it for the clothes. Collins, who started her career in modeling, is the living mannequin for American fashion designer Patricia Fields who is responsible for Emily’s ensembles. Fields is also the mastermind behind the wardrobe of Sex and the City and The Devil Wears Prada. Wait until the Audrey Hepburn episode to thank me.
Alice in Paris
Available on Hulu, this series is about an energetic young woman’s adventures through the streets of Paris to find the best foods throughout the city of lights. Its storytelling style is reminiscent of the film Amelie, a cinematography gem that’s quirky and like nothing else on TV. Alysse Hallali stars in this 29-episode series that serves as a “where to eat in Paris” visitors bureau guide.
Attention Visit Sun Valley, if you need someone to write a similar show featuring the Wood River Valley, I know a guy.
Midnight in Paris
If a feature film is more your speed, check out Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris from 2011. It’s one of the filmmaker’s most popular films, winning an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. It stars Owen Wilson as an American writer who fantasized about how wonderful life must have been in Paris back in the 1920s when writers like Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald were men about town.
With a little bit of alcohol in his system, Wilson’s character gets transported to 1920s Paris each night at midnight. The film is a remarkable display of Parisian character today and back then, and it calls into question the concept of the grass being greener always on the other side, even when the field is time.
Down to Earth
This docu-series hosted by Zac Ephron traverses a number of countries around the globe. But, episode 2 takes place in Paris, where Zac and co-host Darin Olien dive into the topic of drinking water. They explore the City of Paris’ handling of water issues, specifically how to clean it without chemicals and how to provide it throughout the city, for free, and sometimes even with bubbles. I’m serious.
The show starts out in Los Angeles at a lunch with actress and friend of Ephron, Anna Kendrick. Together they enjoy a water tasting hosted by a water sommelier, who teaches them about the importance of drinking only the right kind of water. I’m serious.