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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
"L'Auberge Espagnole" allows us to see what happens in a year in the life of Xavier (Romain Duris), a young man from France who has been promised a job in the French bureaucracy if he is fluent in Spanish. Thus, he applies to the Erasmus programme, in order to study in Barcelona (Spain) for a year.
Xavier leaves his parents and his girlfriend Martine (Audrey Tautou) behind, but he meets lots of new people and survives to cultural shock. He also starts an affair with the lonely wife of another Frenchman, and goes to Economy classes at the university. But what will charm the viewer is the chaotic life Xavier will have in the apartment he will share with other foreign students. In a way, the apartment is a little piece of the European Union, with people from Italy, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Spain and France. Of course, there are lots of linguistic misunderstandings, but also an enormous amount of amusing situations and good-natured fun.
I specially appreciated the fact that the scriptwriter and the director (Cedric Klapisch) managed to convey many of the phases a foreign student goes through. For example, when Xavier says that "When you first arrive in a new city, nothing makes sense", but "After you've lived here, walked these streets, you'll know them inside out. You'll know these people. Once you've lived here, crossed this street 10, 20, 1000 times... it'll belong to you because you've lived there".
At the end, Xavier learns Spanish, but also about friendships, relationships and himself. In a way, watching this movie will allow you to be "there" with him throughout the whole process. And truth to be told, that is many things but never boring. Give this movie a try, I promise it is fun :)
Xavier leaves his parents and his girlfriend Martine (Audrey Tautou) behind, but he meets lots of new people and survives to cultural shock. He also starts an affair with the lonely wife of another Frenchman, and goes to Economy classes at the university. But what will charm the viewer is the chaotic life Xavier will have in the apartment he will share with other foreign students. In a way, the apartment is a little piece of the European Union, with people from Italy, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Spain and France. Of course, there are lots of linguistic misunderstandings, but also an enormous amount of amusing situations and good-natured fun.
I specially appreciated the fact that the scriptwriter and the director (Cedric Klapisch) managed to convey many of the phases a foreign student goes through. For example, when Xavier says that "When you first arrive in a new city, nothing makes sense", but "After you've lived here, walked these streets, you'll know them inside out. You'll know these people. Once you've lived here, crossed this street 10, 20, 1000 times... it'll belong to you because you've lived there".
At the end, Xavier learns Spanish, but also about friendships, relationships and himself. In a way, watching this movie will allow you to be "there" with him throughout the whole process. And truth to be told, that is many things but never boring. Give this movie a try, I promise it is fun :)
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful
I watched this with high expectations as many people had told me it was a great film. However, I didn't expect it to be as brilliant as it was. Its funny, moving and transporting and shows Barcelona in its best light - through the youth and diversity of the city. So many uni/ twenty-something films are often slightly cringeworthy and the characters really stereotypical but this film managed to be fresh and funny and allow you to really connect with the characters - Xavier in particular. I loved the subtle but believable tensions between the characters. There wasn't anyone that really let the film down - although the English brother did get on my nerves I have to say! Its a vibrant, fun and uplifting film and one that will inspire you to get out there and travel more! I highly recommend it.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
This is a friendly, quite fun film that explores European identity and young people getting along - or at least trying to. I'm writing this is as an older person who was never been a student, but was that age, once.
Xavier (Romain Duras), a Parisian who wants to study Economics, goes on an exchange programme to Barcelona and the film charts his successes - and failures - along the way. There's everything from change of language, that Catalan is spoken instead of Spanish at his University and of, course, finding accommodation - that scourge of all students.
When he does finally find somewhere, it's already populated by an assortment of students each from a different country (I think!), including an English girl from London, Kelly Reilly, who happens to end up doing most of the housework. This naturally conjures up the expected sort of mischiefs and misunderstandings, humorous rather than hilarious, more real life than made up comedy. It's during these nicely scatty and warm interludes when the film shines brightest.
Some have accused the individual relationships of both Xavier and Wendy (Reilly) of weakening the strength of the story, but I disagree. They add to the movie's 2 hour length, admittedly and as since both play away from home, so to speak, there's some twists and turns. I enjoyed Xavier's more, partly because his French girlfriend that he leaves behind is the amazingly gorgeous Audrey Tatou (a great excuse to watch the film) and the girl he gets to know intimately, from when she suffers a dizzy spell high up on the Church of Sagrada Familia, the equally lovely Cecile de France, who happens to be married to a neurosurgeon.
Many parts are akin to a backpacker's guide, with lots of street scenes and stuff, which are nice to look at, of course. Comedy (sort of) comes when Wendy's brother, wide-boy and bit of a t*sser, William, played by Kevin Bishop, visits for a while. He's cringe-worthingly crass and rather stupid, "accidentally" makes racist remarks and is a certain embarrassment to his sister, who has to literally carry him home after a mega-binge. He pukes to the other's chorus, with guitar, of 'No Woman, No Cry' in the Square, at dawn. So he lived up to our country's unsavoury reputation, at least!
After quite a few other things going on, including Wendy's English boyfriend dropping in unexpectantly, whilst Wendy is fooling around with her American lover, the whole lot dissembles much in the same way as it formed, but in reverse. People said their impassioned goodbyes and we then see Xavier back in Paris, starting work.
Pot Luck will appeal to all who not only enjoy European travel, Barcelona, of course but also any film that champions human friendships and relationships and one that isn't too heavy. You could watch it on a miserable day and it'd cheer you up and likewise, on a sunny one, as it would seem fitting and even more enjoyable.
Xavier (Romain Duras), a Parisian who wants to study Economics, goes on an exchange programme to Barcelona and the film charts his successes - and failures - along the way. There's everything from change of language, that Catalan is spoken instead of Spanish at his University and of, course, finding accommodation - that scourge of all students.
When he does finally find somewhere, it's already populated by an assortment of students each from a different country (I think!), including an English girl from London, Kelly Reilly, who happens to end up doing most of the housework. This naturally conjures up the expected sort of mischiefs and misunderstandings, humorous rather than hilarious, more real life than made up comedy. It's during these nicely scatty and warm interludes when the film shines brightest.
Some have accused the individual relationships of both Xavier and Wendy (Reilly) of weakening the strength of the story, but I disagree. They add to the movie's 2 hour length, admittedly and as since both play away from home, so to speak, there's some twists and turns. I enjoyed Xavier's more, partly because his French girlfriend that he leaves behind is the amazingly gorgeous Audrey Tatou (a great excuse to watch the film) and the girl he gets to know intimately, from when she suffers a dizzy spell high up on the Church of Sagrada Familia, the equally lovely Cecile de France, who happens to be married to a neurosurgeon.
Many parts are akin to a backpacker's guide, with lots of street scenes and stuff, which are nice to look at, of course. Comedy (sort of) comes when Wendy's brother, wide-boy and bit of a t*sser, William, played by Kevin Bishop, visits for a while. He's cringe-worthingly crass and rather stupid, "accidentally" makes racist remarks and is a certain embarrassment to his sister, who has to literally carry him home after a mega-binge. He pukes to the other's chorus, with guitar, of 'No Woman, No Cry' in the Square, at dawn. So he lived up to our country's unsavoury reputation, at least!
After quite a few other things going on, including Wendy's English boyfriend dropping in unexpectantly, whilst Wendy is fooling around with her American lover, the whole lot dissembles much in the same way as it formed, but in reverse. People said their impassioned goodbyes and we then see Xavier back in Paris, starting work.
Pot Luck will appeal to all who not only enjoy European travel, Barcelona, of course but also any film that champions human friendships and relationships and one that isn't too heavy. You could watch it on a miserable day and it'd cheer you up and likewise, on a sunny one, as it would seem fitting and even more enjoyable.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Anyone remember "Mind Your Language"?
* Review based on the Cinémoi channel screening of "Pot Luck".
My apologies for bringing up a corny 70's sit-com which should perhaps be left forgotten, but that... Read more
My apologies for bringing up a corny 70's sit-com which should perhaps be left forgotten, but that... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Cartimand
Good Fun Movie
Xavier is a young French man who wants to study economics. He doesn't want to stay in Paris, he wants to go elsewhere, so he decides Barcelona is a great place to go. Read more
Published on 18 April 2009 by DL Productions UK
Visceral fun
I totally love this film (and its soundtrack, though it doesn't work so well out of context, in case you're tempted to order the CD). Read more
Published on 24 Mar 2009 by GreyTee
Just say 'non'
Oh my God, I loathed this film. It's the celluloid equivalent of a French exchange student in stone-washed jeans and slip-on shoes, carrying a really big, brightly coloured... Read more
Published on 21 Oct 2008 by International Cowgirl
L'Auberge espagnole - the soup of life
I bought this DVD on whim but I was both very pleasantly and overwhelmingly surprised. Fast paced, funny and not boring for even a second this film is well acted by its young cast... Read more
Published on 2 Aug 2008 by Stratonautus
Learning Spanish in Barcelona? How about Catalan?
I have watched the film and as a British citizen of Catalan origins I could not believe what I saw!
The film shamelessly portrays a film where almost everything is... Read more
The film shamelessly portrays a film where almost everything is... Read more
Published on 25 Jan 2008 by Congost
This one stays with you
I can't say enough about how good this film was but what got me thinking afterwards, apart from what others have said, was how different this would have been as an American... Read more
Published on 17 Dec 2007 by P. Bolos
Neither here nor there
I went to see a special screening of this film yesterday after having this on my wish list for a good few months. Read more
Published on 14 May 2007 by E. Williams
A whole world better than you could ever imagine
Being an English girl who does not speak *any* French, and due to the fact that I shamefully admit to buying this DVD only really because Audrey Tautou features, I was a little... Read more
Published on 2 Dec 2006 by Russian Doll
Follow Up
I saw the follow up film Russian Dolls yesterday at the Filmhouse Edinburgh and it's EVEN better that Pot Luck which I enjoyed hugely - all the sama characters are there and... Read more
Published on 23 Mar 2006
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