LAuberge Espagnole The Spanish Apartment DVD with Romain Duris, Judith Godrï¿½che, Kelly Reilly (R) +Movie Reviews

Rebirth Under The Spanish Sun

mobby_uk | London United Kingdom | 09/15/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In the tradition of many French films, L'Auberge Espagnole is a warm,well written, coming of age and semi autobiographical movie that is guaranteed to stay with you long after you watch it.Cedric Klapish does a wonderful job in telling a story that at first look does not seem to say much, but hides many realizations, which the viewer will subtley unravel one by one. The plot seems simple enough: Xavier a young French student (played wonderfully by Roman Duris)is preparing his future life and career in the EU commision thanks to his father's connections, provided that he acquires a masters degrees in Spanish economics. He goes to Barcelona,leaving his girlfriend behind (Amelie's Audrey Tatou),and after staying with a French couple he meets at the airport, he finally gets a room in a flat he shares with others European students,from Italy, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Belgium and England.He is estatic about his new lodgings and the good vibes he gets from it, little does he know that his life is about to change forever from that moment on.
His plans for a secure career, and his mundane and sheltered life comes gradually under attack from his experiences with his roommates in a foreign city he comes to love: An affair with the wife of a French doctor (the excellent Judith Godreche)the same couple he stayed with on his arrival,his lesson of seduction by a lesbian (the gorgeous Cecile de France),who becomes his best friend, a friendship first sealed by their common love of the music of Ali Fakre Toure (I thought what an original way to seal a friendship!),and the love of life in all its colours he soon discovers.
The core of the film is not about some Europeans getting together in the spirit of a new Europe, with all their cultural differences and habits, it is rather about a young man who finally discovers who he really is and what he wants from life! Barcelona could be London or Paris or anywhere else for that matter, and the students could have been from any nationality, it does not matter as much as the fact that it is about a journey of self discovery and change, this is what makes the film a masterpiece.
I first thought that there were too many characters in the film which could have easily done without, especially that some students, like the Italian, German and Danish characters are more than extras and not quite developped, but by the end of the film, you do understand why Klapish wrote them all.
Apart from Duris's charater, I thought the English characters were well written and provide most of the humour in the film (brilliantly played by Kelly Reilly and Kevin Bishop).It is always interesting to see how the English are seen and portrayed in French films, and vice versa-The love/hate relationship of the two countries is legendary ever since William the Conqueror woke up one morning and decided to have Fish'n'Chips for lunch-but Klapish,although falling slightly in the cliche of the heavily drunk who can't take his drink, he has a sympathetic eye for the 'neighbors across the channel'.
Klapish's aversion of bureaucracy is very well emphasized: the fast camera shots of the EU corridors, the endless forms he has to fill, the men in grey suits who think they can tell a joke, a world that Xavier realizes he does not belong to.
So L'Auberge Espagnole is a movie about friendships, about self discovery and it is about rebirth, a film that should on no account be missed."

Youth, Joy and Panache

Grady Harp | Los Angeles, CA United States | 01/11/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"L'AUBERGE ESPAGNOLE is to films what 'Catcher in the Rye' is to books - a wonder-full romp through the coming of age of multinational youths who are simultaneously dissimilar and similar. The inception of the film is artful with extraordinary camera effects, gradually introducing all the characters we will encounter by means of clever frames within frames and woven words with images. The story is straightforward: Xavier is a bright Parisian boy (Romain Duris, who truly holds this film together), living with his hippie vegetarian mother, and under the influence of the 'adults' who counsel him to learn Spanish, get his MA in Barcelona, then return to Paris as an Economist versed in the Spanish market (remember the 'Graduate' and plastics?).With much anxiety over leaving his Paris, his native language, and his girlfriend (the always lovely Audrey Tautou), he flies to Barcelona. There he is befriended by a Neurologist (whose new wife is to become his paramour), and finally finds an apartment shared by 5 of the most refreshing youths ever gathered under one roof - German, Italian, British, Danish, Spanish, and now French. It is the intermingling of these lives that is the joy of the story and we are witness to their foibles, idiosyncrasies, national traits, bonding, affairs, and finally their influence on the refreshed Xavier's world view. After a year of social and intellectual and emotional learning, Xavier flies back to Paris to accept his "new life" as a boring economics executive, only to wake up and return to the city of joy - Barcelona, Spain.Each of this large cast is excellent, drawing portraits of people we know so well by the end of the that WE could (or could wish to) have as roommates. The photography captures the beauty of Barcelona with lingering glimpses of Gaudi architecture, the ocean, and the vistas. But it is in the end the wonder capturing of our youth (or dreams of same) that makes this movie so special. Highly recommended!"

Awakening to Love and Life ...

Erika Borsos | Gulf Coast of FL, USA | 12/08/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Xavier is a handsome young Parisian college man who is looking to improve his economic future. He learns from his father's friend who deals in international business that with the European Union, there are great business opportunities by knowing Spanish. He assures Xavier of a position but he needs to obtain a his degree. Xavier participates in an international student exchange program where he will attend University in Barcelona to complete his major. His Spanish is a bit rusty ... He bids good-bye to his tearful but emotionally needy girlfriend Martine and his mother as he boards his flight for Spain.

Xavier meets a French couple on the airplane who help him acclimate to Barcelona, the husband is a neurologist, his wife stays at home. Xavier does some apartment hunting but without fruition. The couple let him stay at their home until he finds a permanent situation to meet his needs during his senior year of college. With great difficulty, he finds an ad for an apartment that suits his wallet size: it is an apartment shared by students from all over Europe: an English girl, a German young man, a Belgian, an Italian, a Spanish young woman, and a student from Denmark.

Xavier's long distance relationship with his girlfriend Martine suffers greatly while he is away. She comes to visit him in Spain and lays a lot of emotional guilt on him. Xavier enters into a new and unanticipated social life with his roommates. They go to tapas bars, dance and get drunk ... as their last year of college draws to a close. One new roommate is needed to make ends meet: they interview a Spanish girl, who it turns out is a lesbian. Xavier and she bond in friendship. She provides him invaluable advice in gratifying a woman's sexual needs. Xavier becomes socially involved with Anne-Marie, going on walking tours, to the beach and to historical places in Barcelona. This relationships evolves into a sexual liason. Amazingly enough the husband does not find out but eventually he suspects something is up between them when Xavier begins to have visions of Erasmus (the Renaissance man after whom the college student exchange program is named). Xavier explains his hallucinations to the neurologist who does various tests and by chance discovers Xavier has some impure thoughts about his wife. This is a frolicking, funny "coming of age" story where Xavier discovers his true self and along the way, comes to some serious realizations about life. He also manages to enjoy himself on a wild and crazy ride with his international friends during his last year of college. This is a highly recommended entertaining and amusing escape-from-reality type film. Erika Borsos [pepper flower]"

European Experience

Jo | Scotland | 04/02/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a movie about the student experience under the exchange programs made possible by the EU. As someone who has studied in the U.S., Germany, France and now the UK I know first hand what it means to adapt to different cultures, how important it is to overcome stereotypes when dealing with others and how full of funny or slightly awkward situations life in a multinational environment can be.I can truly say that the movie in parts describes exactly what I experienced throughout my student life.

I was disappointed to read that the film was considered 'predictable' by another viewer. Firstly, i dont necessarily believe this person is right, secondly, the director is attempting to portrait the life of a group of multinational exchange students in a more or less realistic way whilst simultaneously making those people laugh that have never experienced life in such a context. Therefore, of course common stereotypes or misunderstandings have to be dealt with as this is what it is like in reality.

I would recommend Auberge Espagnole as an introduction to anyone who is planning on spending a year abroad (please do so, it is the best experience you will ever have!) but also to those who just want to learn about what it feels like to have one foot in your home country and one foot somewhere else in the world."

A joyous mosaic of life in the European Union

Veggiechiliqueen | 02/26/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

""L'auberge espagnole" was playing at the time I lived in Spain (fall 2002), but somehow I never got around to seeing it. Now, more than a year later after returning home, this charming film made me realize how much I enjoyed my experiences studying in Spain, cherished my friendships with other Erasmus students, and relived the embarrassing "fish out of water" moments that made my stay so memorable.Directed by Cédric Klapisch, "L'auberge espagnole" tells the tale of Xavier (Romain Duris), a twentysomething Parisian studying economics. Xavier decides to spend a year at the Universitat de Barcelona as an Erasmus student (a university exchange between EU member countries), and along the way he meets an assortment of other European students, locals, and transplanted French (a local at a bar offers to teach him "puta madre" Spanish, which made me laugh out loud.)Xavier arrives in Barcelona disoriented and brokenhearted at having to leave his girlfriend and the comfort of familiarity behind. Weighted down by a myriad of bags (which brought back plenty of memories of my arriving in Spain similarly loaded down), he wanders the unfamiliar streets, alone and friendless, not speaking either language fluently (Castillano, the official language of Spain, and Catalán, the official language of Catalunya and Barcelona). After ditching the morose boarding accommodations provided by a friend of his hippie mother's, Xavier begins the grueling and expensive task of finding a flat.His search lands him in a flat with six other Erasmus students: Londoner Wendy (a noted clean freak), Aragonese Soledad, the gorgeous Italian Alessandro, Tobias from Germany, the Dane Lars, and latecomer Isabelle from Belgium. Slowly, Xavier adjusts to his new life: an utter lack of privacy, homesickness for his girlfriend Martine (Audrey Tautou from Amélie), studying, balanced with the occasional joint and night out clubbing. The seven flatmates generally get along, speaking with each other in English and Spanish. A wrench is thrown into the mix when Wendy's obnoxious brother William (Kevin Bishop) comes to spend two weeks with them and ends up offending everyone.Xavier also becomes infatuated with the wife of a French doctor working in Barcelona and the two begin an affair. Although he believes himself to be an adequate lover, Xavier is coached by the lesbian Isabelle on how to truly please a woman, and the result, as Xavier says, is "like something from the movies."The film is beautiful to look at, showcasing the architecture of Gaudí (Sagrada Familia, Parc Guell), the swaying palm trees, blue water and sandy beaches of Barcelona, and Paris at intervals as well. The film's humor is reflected in the editing, "you are here" labels, and special effects. The music is an upbeat mix of new and old that perfectly reflects modern Europe, including contributions by Radiohead, Ali Farka Toure, Vicente Amigo, Kouz-1, Daft Punk and the late Arthur Rubinstein. My only complaints would be the lack of extras (there was a made-for-TV documentary of the making of (or "making off" as you'll see in France and Spain) the film, European Confusion, not included here), and the rather high price. The DVD contains both the widescreen and fullscreen versions.Overall, a gem of a film that brought back many happy memories of living in Spain (Burgos, in my case) and made me homesick for the many wonderful people and experiences I had while living there (I hope to teach in Barcelona in the near future). ¡Viva España!"

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