L'auberge espagnole (2002)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Cédric Klapisch

Writer:

Cédric Klapisch (writer)

Release Date:

19 June 2002 (France)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance | Drama

Tagline:

They came from Paris, Rome, London and Berlin to... l'Auberge Espagnole ...where a year can change a lifetime.

Plot:

A strait-laced French student moves into an apartment in Barcelona with a cast of six other characters from all over Europe. Together, they speak the international language of love and friendship.

Plot Keywords:

Student | Apartment | Language | Spanish | Love

Awards:

8 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Romain Duris	...	Xavier
Judith Godrèche	...	Anne-Sophie
Audrey Tautou	...	Martine
Cécile De France	...	Isabelle
Kelly Reilly	...	Wendy (as Keilly Reilly)
Cristina Brondo	...	Soledad
Federico D'Anna	...	Alessandro (as Fédérico D'anna)
Barnaby Metschurat	...	Tobias
Christian Pagh	...	Lars
Kevin Bishop	...	William
Xavier De Guillebon	...	Jean-Michel
Wladimir Yordanoff	...	Jean-Charles Perrin
Irene Montalà	...	Neus (as Irène Montala)
Javier Coromina	...	Juan
Iddo Goldberg	...	Alistair

Also Known As:

Pot Luck (Canada: English title) (UK)
Euro Pudding (International: English title)
L'auberge espagnole (USA)
The Spanish Apartment (USA)
Una casa de locos (Spain)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and sexual content.

Runtime:

122 min | Finland:117 min | Turkey:111 min (TV version)

Country:

France | Spain

Language:

French | Spanish | English | Catalan | Danish | German | Italian

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Iceland:10 | Iceland:LH (video rating) | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:6 | Netherlands:AL | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) | Spain:13 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:12 (canton of the Grisons) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain

Company:

Bac Films

Trivia:

"L'auberge espagnole" (the Spanish hotel) is the house in Barcelona where the Erasmus students live their adventures in the movie.

Goofs:

Continuity: As Xavier makes his way to his new job near the end of the film, he is wearing a coat, tie, and jeans, and he has his hands in his pockets. But when he gets there, he is wearing slacks that go with the coat, and he is carrying a briefcase.

Quotes:

Xavier: It was like I'd always lived in this mess. Their bickering was like the constant drone in my head since childhood.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Holiday (2006)

Soundtrack:

Aerodynamic

Very good

"L'Auberge Espagnole" collected the audience wherever it was shown. It gathered audience awards on many film festivals all over the world. And it is not strange. We have the ability to watch a cheerful and an astonishing piece of art. And it is wise by the way. "L'Auberge Espagnole" is a very funny comedy about youth and growing up. But most of all it is about the lights and shadows of living in the European Union.

The main character of the film is a French student of economy Xavier. For his future carrier his is sent for one year of studying to Barcelona. In Spain it turns out that the lectures are being given in Catalonian language. That probably doesn't help the increasement of knowledge. But it helps in tightening the relationships inside the group of foreign exchange students. Especially if they rent a big flat together. There are 3 girls: English, Belgian and Spanish, as well as three boys: German, Danish and Italian. Our French guy will also get there. A year is a very long time. Long enough to get close and make friends. And get to know some European stereotypes while trying to break them apart.

Klapisch treats this special case of a process of uniting Europe with humor and without pecky didactism. He comes out of the idea that young people are everywhere just the same. They like jokes. They like to make irresponsible relationships. But they don't neglect their aspirations. The most interesting is the sum of experience of this little community. They live together in the fire of everyday tasks fighting with the surrounding reality. They are full of unusual ideas for life. Young Europeans come back to their countries to take up a life of an adult on their own. They are Europe's hope to fight the many problems of the Union. For example, the terrifying administration system. In the end they proof that not only can they communicate and make friends despite the many differences. But they also now how to live the full of life. And they won't allow taking that full of life away from them.