I mentioned in an earlier post that one of my very favorite films of all time is a French film that was released in 2002 and I would recommend it to everyone, especially anyone who has ever studied abroad or even just anyone who wishes to remember their college years. \u00a0Nominated for several French C\u00e9sar awards including Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress, it has everything – comedy, romance and drama. \u00a0If you think you’re up to it, definitely watch it in the original French version to get the real effect sought by writer\/director C\u00e9dric Klapisch and because the film features first-person narration from the main character’s perspective.<\/p>\n
His name is Xavier (played by Romain Duris) and he is a very serious, twenty-something French university student who realizes that a year abroad would enhance his resume greatly and so, decides to part from his beautiful girlfriend (played by Audrey Tatou of Le Fabuleux Destin d’Am\u00e9lie Poulain<\/em> fame) temporarily (promising to return to her the same as before leaving) and wacky mother to head off to Barcelona where he finds a room in an apartment with six other European students. \u00a0His roommates are all from different Western European countries, speak different languages and have varying Spanish language skills. \u00a0There’s Lars, the Danish guy, who is played by Christian Pagh; Wendy, the British girl, who is played by Kelly Reilly; Isabelle from Belgium who is played by C\u00e9cile de France, the winner of a Most Promising Actress C\u00e9sar award for her performance in this film; Alessandro, the Italian, who is played by Federico d’Anna; Soledad, the Spaniard, who is played by Cristina Brondo; and Tobias, the German, who is played by Barnaby Metschurat. \u00a0Despite the language barriers, they all find plenty in common and learn lessons about love, friendship and life and make memories that will last a lifetime. \u00a0Like the characters, you will hear French, English, Spanish and bits of Danish, German, Italian and Catalan in the film regardless of the language you choose to watch it in. Here is the trailer for the original French version of the film:
\nThe title of the film literally means ‘Spanish hostel’, but in French, it is an idiomatic expression for a ‘hodgepodge of ingredients’ or ‘potluck’. \u00a0It can also mean a ‘busy, chaotic place’.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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