L'AUBERGE ESPAGNOLE Rating: (out of 5 stars) Director: Cedric Klapisch Producer: Bruno Levy Writer: Cedric Klapisch Director of Photography: Dominique Colin Cast: Romain Duris, Judith Godreche, Audrey Tautou, Cecile De France Visit the IMDB page for full cast and crew

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Review by: Warren Curry
5/11/03

Light and breezy entertainment delivered with heart, French director Cedric Klapisch's L'Auberge Espagnole (literal translation: "The Spanish Inn") may not be a film that sticks with you for any great length of time, but in the realm of a 2-hour diversion, it works perfectly fine. Episodic in nature and inclusive of a few too many characters, the film manages to entertain thanks largely to the many sitcom inspired moments it delivers. There's not much of an immediate overall purpose, but Klapisch for the most part avoids inadvertently talking down to his audience in this well-meaning dramedy.

L'Auberge Espagnole centers on a year in the life of French student Xavier (Romain Duris) when he relocates to Barcelona, Spain as part of the inter-European exchange program Erasmus. Not knowing a single person in his temporary home, Xavier benefits from meeting a newly resituated French couple, a doctor and his introverted wife, Anne Sophie (Judith Godreche), who allow the young man to stay with them. Soon after, Xavier finds permanent living quarters when he moves in with a group of students, of varying European nationalities, in a small apartment -- needless to say, all sorts of hijinks ensue.

The film weaves several story threads into the main landscape, which ultimately depicts the diversity each of these students is exposed to as being a greatly beneficial part of the human experience. The most explored characters, aside from protagonist Xavier, include his lesbian Belgian roommate, Isabelle (Cecile De France), who becomes Xavier's closest friend and shares with him the secrets of how to spark a woman's passion, Wendy (Kelly Reilly), a frigid British student most responsible for keeping the apartment orderly, and the previously mentioned Anne Sophie who ends up partaking in an affair with Xavier. Adding to the mayhem of the cramped living situation when he arrives for a visit is William (Kevin Bishop), Wendy's brother, a loudmouth who tries the patience of anyone he comes in contact with. Audrey Tautou (Amelie) has a small role as the girlfriend Xavier leaves behind in France.

Unless director Klapisch was to double the film's length, there's no way for him to give equal amounts of time to all of the characters. Still, even as an ensemble, the movie neglects too many of the people who comprise it. Certain elements drop into the mix that set-up a deeper look into certain characters, which are then never followed up. Occasionally, one of the lesser-detailed roommates will appear on screen, and as you try to recall what traits distinguish the character, you realize that you weren't given much information beyond the person's nationality. The apartment's multi-national environment, however, leads to a few good jokes.

The film is shot in 24p high-definition, and once again I'm astounded by just how close this format looks to film. The director embraces many of the modernisms that go hand-in-hand with filmmaking in the digital age, most notably fragmenting the screen in order to allow several shots to appear at once. This technique works well in the film's most "Must See TV" moment when the roommates race back to the apartment to warn Wendy of impending doom.

It's always interesting to see what foreign films will make a box office splash here in the States, and Fox Searchlight can already boast of a very successful import this year with Bend It Like Beckham. L'Auberge Espagnole won't be as big a hit for one obvious reason - it's subtitled - but, in its own way, is an equally charming movie, which deals in a reality that is likely much more tangible to most audiences (beyond the fact that not everyone can afford the luxury of being an exchange student). All in all, it's just good, clean fun.

(A Fox Searchlight release. Opens in NY and LA on May 16, 2003. Expands to more cities at later dates.)