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 view optionsfont: A A size: - 12 +book reviewspeoplemystic fiction health identity music/moviesjazzgrrlsmovies rantrrrampage
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I am a big fan of another film by Cedric Klapisch, Chacun Cherche Son Chat, a nice urban tale of a girl in the Bastille 'hood in Paris who has lost her cat. Nothing monumental happens in the film and the cat is okay (phew) but the story rambles along like real life. So I was very eager to see Klapisch's newest film, L'Auberge Espagnole. And insisted on dragging site creator Rascal along for the ride, since she's lived the film's theme, as a youthful foreigner in Barcelona.
As it turns out, nothing very overwhelming happens in this film either, although Klapisch felt obliged to try to convey some kind of united Euro theme to tie it all up at the end. The "I am France, I am Italy, I am Europe, I am everyone, I am a mess" already seems dated and also hardly seems relevant to a Euro-immigrant in Canada like me. That said, I really enjoyed the earlier part of the film, before Barcelona, when our hero navigates French bureaucracy in humorous fast forwards and funny computer overlays.
And it is fun to see a bunch of hip young Europeans fuddling around in a lovely city, messing up and messing around. Some pretty scenery, some nice weather, some highly realistic group interaction. And some adolescent angst about love ... so kind of like a high class sitcom, "Friends" gone chic and full screen.
Audrey Tautou is wasted in this film compared to her radiant performance in Amelie, and I liked our lead actor Romain Duris better as a stoned drummer in Chacun Cherche Son Chat than as the anxious Xavier in this film. He's just got something closed-face about him that didn't necessarily draw me in, although heaps of beautiful girls in the film seemed smitten. And I quickly got fed up with comic relief character of bumbling British brother, but oh well, nothing is perfect, hey? For some reason, I always like Klapisch's female characters better than his male ones, which is cool if you stop to think about it..
Btw, Barcelona escapee Rascal grinned knowingly through the entire film so we can guess many details struck a chord there.
But just between you and me, this isn't really my age group anymore (damn), although coming of age themes are universal. But I would like Klapisch to do a slice of my life now please, all babies and houses and sporadic vacations. I like his slapdash style of comedy mixed with reality so will look out for his other titles. Can't get a video yet except at Amazon.fr, so why not visit movie's site?
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