showbiz

Doc: It's not easy being Paris

Posted on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2008
by Terry Wong - for Cineplex Entertainment

Paris, Not France

Paris Hilton the socialite, the tabloid victim, the beauty queen, the entrepreneur, the brand, the business woman, the pop star, and the heiress are all realized in Paris, Not France, a documentary by Adria Petty. Paris is the first lady of the pop culture phenomenon known as the cult of celebrity, in which celebrities are famous for being famous and it is this cult-like fascination with celebrity that feeds and sustains the paparazzi/tabloid/celebrity machine that made her a star.

The intentions of this film are to dispel the tabloid myths about her and reveal the sensitive, intelligent, and hard working businesswoman behind the Paris Hilton brand.

There is Paris Hilton the intelligent businesswoman and then there is Paris Hilton the media persona, a stereotypical ditzy blonde bombshell that loves to say, “That’s hot!” The two symbiotically function to create and sustain the Paris Hilton empire which encompasses movies, cosmetics, handbags, pop music, reality television shows, fashion modeling, and self-help books.

Petty utilizes candid interviews, home movies, and Paris Hilton herself to uncover the individual behind the mystique and to imbue some humanity into this celebrity darling.

The film candidly follows Paris on a number of engagements in order to document her daily routine and to expose the constant deluge of paparazzi, the long and tenuous hours involved in press, promotion, and photo shoots, and most importantly - to give Paris her own voice in this documentary.

Paris, Not France

Paris Hilton at the screening of 'Paris, Not France at the Toronto International Film Festival. (Photo by: Terry Wong.)

Through her own commentary we get a first-hand account of the hard work that goes into being Paris Hilton, the dedication and determination that goes into maintaining the Paris Hilton brand, and the trials and tribulations that she has endured and persevered as a result of her celebrity status. Historic tabloid moments are examined including the infamous sex tape scandal, the robbery of her storage locker, and the tabloid lies surrounding her relationship with Britney Spears.

Interviews with her parents Rick and Kathy and her sister Nicky, along with Donald Trump, Michael Musto, and Camille Pagilla help to bring Paris down a few notches to a more touchable and relatable level. We begin to sympathize with her and realize that she is human and has feelings too. When asked if she could have a super power what would it be? Paris replies, “…to be able to fly, be invisible, and disappear.”

Paris, Not France successfully reveals the real person beneath the Paris the Heiress persona that she is famous for and justifies why she is truly “hot.”

You need to be logged in to leave a comment.

    • Coogi2g
    • Written at 3:38 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008

    • She was not a diva at all and I heard that she signed autographs for fans as she left the theatre.

    • Coogi2g
    • Written at 3:38 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008

    • She was sitting behind me and I could hear her laughing at herself during the film and at the end of the film she shouted out to the director, "Good work Adria!". People were snapping pics of her as she entered the theatre and she just calmly sat down and let everyone who wanted to, to take her picture.

    • Paprika
    • Written at 2:11 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008

    • It's hard to believe that she could be a real person, given the fact that her brand strives to convince us that she's above being "normal". It's sad that her wish is to fly away and disappear.

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