L'Auberge Espagnole (2002)

Fresh, stimulating and original

Good idea, good direction, good cast, lots of fun, brings up real life issues and leaves you fulfilled.

For those of you not familiar with Romain Duris yet, I also recommend seeing The Beat that My Heart Skipped. I think he has what it takes, and is one of the best actors today.

July 21, 2008

Pass on the pudding...

A French film set in Barcelona, Spain; sounds beautifully intoxicating, right? That's that I thought but sadly I was sorely mistaken.

`L'Auberge Espagnole' (`The Spanish Apartment' / `Euro Pudding' depending on how you want to translate it) has the makings of an intricately woven coming of age story but it manages to be nothing more than a boring and tepid waste of time. I remember when the opening credits for the film began to run and I thought to myself that this looked to be an extremely steamy sitcom, and I was put off a bit because I wanted to watch a `movie' and not a `sitcom' but I thought that if done right then it could prove to be a good time at least. Instead I got something that doesn't even qualify as a `Dawson's Creek' style romp; a film that merely skims across the surface of stimulation and barely comes off as entertaining. Even it's `film about nothing yet about so much more' approach is staggering and winds up being a film about nothing that is ultimately about nothing.

I know I am in the minority here, but honestly, I can't bring myself to lie.

I will say first and foremost that I adore films that seem to have no point but in the end touch us so deeply. I'm all for that, but `L'Auberge Espagnole' is not that kind of film, at least not for me. I gathered nothing from this experience, except shattered hopes and aspirations since the film wound up being so much less than I anticipated. After seeing Audrey Tautou sizzle and score with the beautifully constructed `Amelie' I was dying to see her in action once again, so I picked up this film. Sadly, Tautou is barely in this film, and even though she is decent in her small role she is still stunted by the scripts poor construction.

The film follows Xavier, a French college student who decides to travel to Barcelona for a year to study economics and learn the Spanish culture in order to help secure himself a well paying job. He leaves behind his difficult girlfriend and overbearing mother and winds up bunking with quite a few roommates all of different ethnic backgrounds (British, Italian, German, Danish, Spanish). His girlfriend comes to visit, leaves upset, breaks up with him. He falls for his lesbian roommate, then his friend's wife. His roommate's brother comes to visit and turns everyone off (the only slightly entertaining segment in the film) and yet none of this seems remotely relevant since none of it is delivered in a way that makes us feel it is of the slightest importance.

One good thing I can say about the film is that the entire cast handles their respective roles very well. Their acting can't really elevate this film into the importance it is so actively seeking, but it does at least give me a singular avenue in which to praise. Romain Duris is wonderful as Xavier, taking his characters shelter naivety and allowing him to blossom as the film lurches forward. It's within the supporting characters that I found the most joy though. Judith Godreche is especially stunning as Anne-Sophie, the married woman whom Xavier takes a liking to. Cecile De France is also mesmerizing as Isabelle, Xavier's off-limits roommate, and Kelly Reilly makes her mark as the loud and outspoken Wendy. I also really loved the inclusion of Kevin Bishop and his character William, for he actually held my interest for the brief moments he was on the screen.

Sadly, they can't save this movie nor can they convince me to every watch it again or even suggest you give it a try. I'd stay away from this film, but then again so many others here have praised it and recommended it and obviously seen something within its running time that I fail to see.

To each his own, I always say; to each his own. June 16, 2008

Why is this here?

This is an Audrey Tautou film, not a Marion Cotillard film. Cotillard is not listed in the full cast list. Could someone explain? May 30, 2008

Hilarious

One of very few times I've laughed outloud at a movie... A different sense of humor is required. Highly recommend. May 1, 2008

Part One Of The Trilogy: The Spanish Apartment

Ah, yes, why can't all our college experiences be this cool? Instead of rooming with a control freak-esque local girl in a run-down flat in a northeastern college town, wouldn't it have been great if I'd lived with a bunch of cool people in Spain? Oh, well.

I find it hard to describe what this movie is about, so I'll leave it to others who have no doubt done a fine job of detailing its quirky, thin-yet-rich plot. To say it depicts the inner landscape of a young Frenchman's evolving personality as it concerns itself with interaction among co-habiting European students from all corners of the continent doesn't do it justice or explain much at all. I'll only say I enjoyed the fast-moving L'Auberge Espagnole and would recommend it to anyone interested in seeing a stylish young cast clash and bond under the wide blue skies of Barcelona and amid the scenery of ultra-modern twenty-first-century Europe.

Merely by packing seven good-looking multinational young people into a small Spanish apartment you'd have a watchable tale right there, but Cedric Klapisch goes much farther by working in subplots about an adulterous affair, long-distance relationships, ethnic stereotyping, and the debt owed to one's personal past. "European Pudding" has winsome performances, funny moments---Wendy's brother taking a bullet for her by jumping into bed with the half-naked American troubadour was completely hilarious--- and is an intelligent, likable movie!

So, Cedric, when can we look forward to seeing part three?
March 20, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...