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
Martine Demaret	...	Xavier's Mother
Olivier Raynal	...	Bruce
Paulina Gálvez	...	Flamenco Teacher (as Paulina Galvez)
Jacno	...	Xavier's Father
Sylvie Lachat	...	University Secretary
Magali Roze	...	Stewardess
Shilpa Baliga	...	Nurse Miralpeix
Nadala Batiste	...	Neighbor Miralpeix
Pere Sagristà	...	Catalan Teacher (as Père Sagrista)
Pere Abello	...	Landlord (as Père Abello)
Babou Cham	...	Catalan Student 1
Daniel Grao	...	Catalan Student 2
Iván Morales	...	Catalan Student 3 (as Ivan Morales)
Jacques Royer	...	Erasmus
Mira Wanting	...	Mira (as Mira Herfort Wanting)
Arsène Royer	...	Lars' Son
Sophie Delin	...	Apartment Neighbor
Zinedine Soualem	...	Barman
Pablo Klapisch	...	Xavier as a Child
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Cédric Klapisch	...	Le professeur stressé (uncredited)
Lise Lamétrie	...	La femme au ministère (uncredited)
Sophie Le Tellier	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Cédric Klapisch

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Cédric Klapisch		writer

Produced by
Bruno Levy	....	producer
Jacques Royer	....	line producer

Cinematography by
Dominique Colin

Film Editing by
Francine Sandberg

Casting by
Pep Armengol
Lucy Boulting
Emmanuelle Gaborit

Production Design by
François Emmanuelli

Costume Design by
Anne Schotte

Makeup Department
Gemma Planchadell	....	makeup artist
Manuela Taco	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Victoria Borrás	....	production manager: Spain
Jacques Royer	....	production manager
Antoine Théron	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lola Doillon	....	first assistant director
Ophélie Gelber	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Marie Cheminal	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Dominique Dalmasso	....	sound mixer
Cyril Moisson	....	sound

Visual Effects by
Christophe Belena	....	scan and conforming technician: Duboicolor
Seb Caudron	....	visual effects director
Rip Hampton O'Neil	....	technical director: DuboiColor
Tina Lin	....	scan and conforming technician: Duboicolor
Nicolas Daniel	....	video operator: Duboicolor (uncredited)
François Dupuy	....	digital transfers (uncredited)
Sylvian Fabre	....	Flame artist (uncredited)
Abdel Ali Kassou	....	processing: DuboiColor (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Jérôme Plon	....	still photographer
Frédéric North	....	pilot: camera helicopter (uncredited)

Casting Department
Pep Armengol	....	casting: Spain
Jeanne Millet	....	extras casting
Annette Borgmann	....	casting: Germany (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Jean-René Nébot	....	digital color timer
Jenny Frenck	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Other crew
Sandra Bensadón	....	press attache
Agathe Sallabery	....	script supervisor
Géraldine Toitot	....	administrator
Arno Salters	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Bac Films
• Ce Qui Me Meut Motion Pictures
• France 2 Cinéma
• Mate Films
• Mate Producciones S.A.
• Studio Canal
• Vía Digital

Distributors

• Mars Distribution (2002) (France) (theatrical)
• BIM Distribuzione (2003) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Frenetic Films (2002) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Paradiso Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• TOBIS Film (2003) (Austria) (theatrical)
• TOBIS Film (2003) (Germany) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (Far East)
• Alfa Films (Argentina)
• Christal Films (Canada)
• Fox Searchlight Pictures (2003) (Asia) (subtitled)
• Fox Searchlight Pictures (2003) (Australia) (subtitled)
• Fox Searchlight Pictures (2003) (New Zealand) (subtitled)
• Fox Searchlight Pictures (2003) (Scandinavia) (subtitled)
• Fox Searchlight Pictures (2003) (South America) (subtitled)
• Fox Searchlight Pictures (2003) (USA) (subtitled)
• Impuls Home Entertainment (2004) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• New Age Entertainment (Portugal)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (200?) (Netherlands) (video)
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
• Universum Film (UFA) (2004) (Germany) (DVD)

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

Color:

Color

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: When Tobias is talking with William, he grabs a highlighter and a ruler to mark his textbook. In the next shot, we see him underline with a pen and the highlighter is nowhere to be seen.

Quotes:

[Xavier is trying to convince Wendy to come with the gang to a night club]
Wendy: Xavier, I can't. I've... I've really got to write, okay?
Xavier: But, Wendy, you will write tomorrow. Come on!
Wendy: No. This is my diary. You know, I need to be disciplined.
Xavier: Wendy, you're too serious, you know!
Wendy: What do you mean, I'm too serious?
Xavier: You are not a nun! Come on! Come with us tonight, please!
Wendy: Listen! I'm not a nun! I just don't want to go out with... e-e-everyone! I don't like clubs and... and I don't like dancing. Maybe I'm not your idea of a typical trendy London girl, but techno music bulls me, all right? And if I'm a nun because I don't get out of this house enough for you guys, then that's too bad!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Les poupées russes (2005)

Soundtrack:

L'Auberge Espagnole

White Western Europeans having fun 1980's style

As a European, the movie is a nice throwback to my time as a student in the 1980's and the experiences I had living abroad and interacting with other nationalities, although the circumstances were slightly different. Klapisch (the director) went to the New York Film School from 1982-85, so one would think that he is drawing on this experience.

It is interesting how the film balances the message that "one should not generalize" with the notion that "for every stereotype, there is some underlying truth". For example, the Italian character is based more on the pothead aspect than on any well-known Italian stereotype. The German character features a few more tried and tested stereotypes. But the most stereotypical aspect about the movie is not a character but the central theme of infidelity. As a critic observed, infidelity is as crucial to French film as class is to British film.

Both the main character and his girlfriend are played as not entirely likable, which I think is deliberate and great.

It may be unintentional, but some of the nationals have elements that could be taken as a metaphor for their countries' perceived role in the EU. The British woman has a fling with an American (who is an entertainer - like a 1980's US president) while the Frenchman shows himself as the natural leader (when the landlord shows up).

Although Europe is not as diverse as New York, it is striking that we see only two non-white characters. One is a Chilean woman with indigenous features, who despite appearing the age of our main character is not portrayed as a potential object of interest. Another is a Gambian-Spanish or rather Gambian-Catalan male who appears a bit invented.

One might ask why Klapisch chose protagonists who were all from long-established EU member countries in Western Europe. While these nationalities reflect what he and I would meet as students in the 1980's, I believe exchange programs in contemporary Europe are much more diverse. The Erasmus program encompasses some 30 countries from Iceland to Eastern Europe, many of which are not EU members. I do understand, however, that the choice of nationalities that are more familiar to the majority of the viewership may have been deemed necessary not to distract from the contrast Klapisch wants to create between the Peoples' Europe and the Bureaucratic Europe.

Despite minor gripes a great movie that made me consider going back to Europe to live. A French friend of mine, also an expatriate in the US, captured our shared feelings in this piece of contradiction "If Europe was more like the US, I would leave in a heartbeat".