The Emily in Paris star Lily Collins is all geared for a season four comeback. While she gets to live out her Parisian love affairs on the hit Netflix show, Collins once revealed the kind of period romance she would love to be a part of.
Collins expressed her appreciation for the aesthetics and storytelling of Joe Wright’s Pride and Prejudice, noting that it is a quintessential example of the kind of period piece she hopes to be a part of someday.
“I love old English literature,” Collins shared with Rotten Tomatoes, echoing the sentiments of countless literature enthusiasts and cinephiles who revel in the allure of classic tales set against historical backdrops.
The film, set in the early 19th century, offers a glimpse into a world of intricate societal codes and hierarchies with the soothing British countryside in the backdrop.
One of the film’s focal points is the performance of the talented Keira Knightley, who stars as the headstrong and endearing Elizabeth Bennet. Knightley’s portrayal, coupled with Matthew MacFayden’s ever-charming and dashing Mr Darcy, easily makes this one of the superior adaptations of Jane Austen’s 1813 novel.
The film’s visual splendour is a feast for the eyes, with sumptuous costumes, lush landscapes, and opulent settings that transport audiences to the Regency era. The stunning visuals serve as a backdrop to a story that weaves themes of love, societal expectations, and acceptance.
“I love sweeping British drama period pieces, and I hope that one day I can do one just like that, because, to me, I love old English literature. And I’m a big Keira Knightley fan. It’s just so beautiful aesthetically and in terms of story,” raved Collins.
Collins also listed four of her other favourite films, which included Love Actually, the Harry Potter series, The Breakfast Club, and Sabrina. Collins reminisced how she began one of her New Year’s pausing on the luminescent face of Audrey Hepburn while watching the Billy Wilder classic, “I actually spent my New Year’s this year watching Sabrina, and as it turned midnight, I paused it, and it was just her face on screen, smiling. I was like, ‘What a cool way to start the New Year.’ She is just someone I’ve always admired. She says so much without saying anything at all. And back then, they didn’t do such fast cuts in films; they stayed on a character’s face long enough for them to go from one emotion to another, and for the audience to really feel the emotion with each character — and she in that movie just goes from so many endearing moments to moments of sadness and laughter. It’s just such a classic, and I love black and white,” Collins enthused before concluding, “So, that’s my list!”
