Savoring Paris premiered in June 2024 as part of Hallmark Channel's Passport to Love event featuring all-new destination movies. The movie stars Bethany Joy Lenz, Stanley Weber, and Ben Wiggins. It's fun, flirtatious, and as always, it romanticizes Paris!
What Is Savoring Paris About?
Ella (Lenz) is a burned-out executive at an American food chain who jets off to Paris to recapture the happiness she once felt when vacationing there after college. Ella is so accustomed to making sensible choices, especially with a constant push from her mother, that she has lost who she is. While she tries to make sense of her life and figure out her next step, she is swept up in a busy social life, thanks to her landlord and new friend, Clotilde.
Ella captures the attention of Clotilde's cousin and food critic, Gaston, a "cad" known for being a bit of a player.
In the meantime, Ella's love affair with cheese sends her daily to La Fromagerie, a cheese shop run by Serge, known to locals as the "grump." When she learns Serge is hiring, she volunteers to work for him part-time. Since she doesn't have a work visa, he pays her in cheese.
Caught in a love triangle and running out of time on her visa, Ella must choose between a safe and practical life in the States or one in Paris where she is happy and fulfilled.
Review of Hallmark's Savoring Paris
Savoring Paris playfully immerses the viewer into French culture, even though the experience is a vicarious one through Ella.
We learn the French don't hug but greet each other with a kiss to each cheek. It's fashionable to be late. The French also appear to indulge in sweets, wine, and lots of cheese!
Ella eats a steady stream of crepes and cheese without gaining an ounce, which confirms the story is pure fiction. I am on a quest to find the Mimolette cheese Serge claims is life changing. If you've ever eaten it, share your thoughts on it in the comments.
Savoring Paris is a delight. Ella wants to improve her French, but everyone keeps speaking to her in English, and not mastering the language leads to a big misunderstanding between her and Gaston. The French background music is peppy and appropriate, and Ella's wardrobe is very chic, flirty, and exudes a distinct Parisian vibe.
I love the concept of a "reverse bucket list," and my favorite scene is Ella's admission to the man she chooses near the end (no spoilers here!) because her speech is romantic, heartfelt, and passionately delivered.
In Savoring Paris, the acting is wonderful, the culture is intriguing, and the script is well-written. If the plot included a moral, it would be that no matter what city you live in around the world, you can make that place better by building community and finding fulfillment in meaningful work and relationships.
If you haven't had a chance to catch Savoring Paris, it's definitely worth watching. Just be sure you have a glass of wine and a plate of cheese nearby because you might develop cravings as you watch!
Watch the Trailer for Savoring Paris
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