Starring Bethany Joy Lenz, Stanley Weber, and Ben Wiggins
***SPOILER ALERT***
Ella (Lenz) is approaching burnout in her soul-sucking job as a recipe developer for Bistro Bon Vivant, a fast-food chain. And her real estate agent mother (Lucy Newman-Williams) is pressuring her to buy a condo. Recalling her delight at eating a cheese known as comté while in Paris, Ella spontaneously returns to the city—for the cheese, and to recharge her batteries. Before long, she meets an irritable cheesemonger, Serge (Weber), as well as a flirtatious food critic, Gaston (Wiggins), who she starts dating. Ella also takes a room in a flat owned by Gaston’s cousin, Clotilde (Manon Azem). Realizing that two weeks in Paris won’t be life changing, Ella extends her stay and begins interning at Serge’s fromagerie, then helping him expand his business into the vacant shop next door. Gradually, Serge succumbs to Ella’s charms and urges her to remain in Paris to run the expansion. She’s developed feelings for Serge, but Gaston is still in the picture, which complicates matters.
PROS
Because of its charismatic leading lady, this movie looked promising. I was also intrigued because Clare Niederpruem, credited with An American in Austen (2024), directed it. As well, the Paris setting was a big draw. I wasn’t disappointed!
Bethany Joy Lenz. The actress was a gem in A Biltmore Christmas (2023), and she sparkled in Savoring Paris too. She portrayed Ella with playful, natural charm. And although Ella was a mature career woman who’d been at her job for ten years and was hardly unsophisticated, Lenz gave dimension to this character by highlighting her wide-eyed innocence when she arrived in Paris. She was eager to embrace everything Paris had to offer—not just cheese (at first she planned on five varieties a day), but also romance. Her naïveté showed in how she wouldn’t believe at first that Gaston was the cad he was reputed to be. It was wonderful to see Ella’s zest for life return. Whenever she ventured out, she always had a bounce in her step—and a smile on her face for everyone she encountered, from local vendors to her tour guide pal. I couldn’t help but love her optimism as she began realizing she could remake the fantasy she was living in Paris into her reality. And she made those around her happier just by being the bright spirit she was. Bravo, Bethany Joy Lenz, for making Ella so delightful!
The leading men. Weber’s character, Serge, was known as the Grump and closed himself off to Ella, refusing to even give her his name at first. Serge teased her about the American preference for cheddar, and as they worked together, he started opening up and even told her about his divorce. And Ella was an inspiration to Serge with her creative vision for the space adjacent to the cheese shop. After making croque monsieur for their dinner, he was tentative in declaring his feelings for her. When she pulled away when he attempted to kiss her, he shut down, ending the scene on a sad note. Weber played Serge with subtlety; you could sense a lot going on beneath the character’s gruff exterior, and Serge’s tender feelings for Ella developed slowly and only gradually made themselves known. It was an excellent performance.
As Gaston, Wiggins was a brazen flirt and not a one-woman (and one-cheese) man the way Serge was; he wanted to sample everything. Polar opposites, the two men rubbed each other the wrong way, but in a comical way. Ella easily fell for Gaston’s joie de vivre, and they had fun together, dining out and taking in the Bastille Day fireworks. Gaston did have principles, like not saying casually that he loved someone. Ella’s imperfect grasp of French led her to believe he’d said he loved her when he only meant he liked her a lot. When she examined her feelings, she concluded he wasn’t for her, but the relationship ended amicably, with Ella telling him he’d played a big part in making her three months in Paris so wonderful. I liked that Gaston wasn’t depicted as villainous; he was much more than a cad, and Wiggins made him charming.
The supporting women. Azem embraced her role as Manon, the stylish rich woman who, urged on by Ella, was searching for more meaning in her life and decided to do professionally what she already did best—plan parties. Azem was warm, exuberant, and funny. I also liked Newman-Williams as Ella’s critical but caring mother. She envisioned a certain type of life for her daughter that had nothing to do with Ella’s desires but gradually came to support Ella’s plans.
The clothing! Kudos to Shanna Mair, the costume designer for this film. Ella’s clothing perfectly mirrored her transformation from a miserable corporate employee to a woman enthusiastically making over herself and her life. Her clothes were adorably chic and very Parisian. At first they were demure, echoing 1950s style. Later she wore lots of stripes, boldly patterned dresses, wide-legged trousers, and chunky heels. Manon’s clothing was on the outrageous side but in tune with her big personality.
CONS
Distractions. This movie left me little to complain about. However, the little messages that popped up on the screen were distracting, as was the frenetic pop music. I would have preferred music in a more relaxed style—after all, this was a movie about slowing down and savoring.
My grade for Savoring Paris: A
Caroline Kaiser is a professional book editor who specializes in fiction and memoirs, and she’s been guiding writers toward publication since 2007. Caroline is also the author of two ghostly mystery novels, Virginia’s Ghost and The Spirits of South Drive. Before she embarked on an editing and writing career, she spent many years working in a Toronto auction house as an antiques appraiser. Apart from curling up on the couch and drinking tea as she watches Hallmark movies, Caroline enjoys baking and exploring London, Ontario, the picturesque city she now calls home. Her website is www.carolinekaisereditor.com.
