“Emily in Paris for geriatrics”. That’s what cruel commentators may be inclined to label this Cinderella-ish tale, based on a 1958 Paul Gallico novella about a Battersea cleaning lady. Luckily, with the fantastic Lesley Manville as said charwoman, nothing is quite what it seems.
The book’s Ada Harris is a selfless and gutsy widow who falls in love with one of her client’s Dior dresses. When she arrives in Paris, all set to buy a frock with her hard-earned cash, she impresses an open-minded Marquis, endears herself to practically every Dior employee she meets and is rewarded for her fairy godmother-ish ways with... flowers. She never gets to swan around in her gown. It’s gutting!
