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The Spanish Apartment (L’
Auberge espagnole)
Feature:
The
Spanish Apartment (also known as Euro Pudding) is a coming of age story
about Xavier, and a group of 20 something’s from all over Europe. All of
them are there for foreign exchange, and each speaks a different
language. The only reason Xavier decided to leave his home in France is
for a career he was promised if he could get some Spanish under his
belt, more to the point, he HAD to live there for a year.
After dealing with the heartache of leaving his home
country by himself, and struggling to find a place he finds comfortable,
he stumbles upon a melting pot of culture.
An Italian, an English
girl, a boy from Denmark, a young woman from Belgium, a German and a
girl from Tarragona already live in the one small apartment, and now
Xavier is the newest housemate. What comes now is a series of adventures
that he’ll experience with his new roommates, which will both change him
from the boy he was, into the man he always wanted to be.
The Spanish Apartment may sound like a
slightly serious movie going by the description I have given above, but
it’s anything but. Think typical American college flick, but with a
distinctly European feel and sense of humor. This is one of the funniest
movies I’ve seen recently, and can definitely say I’ll be watching it
many a time over. Watching them all grow and adapt to the difficult
situation they find themselves in is a joy to behold, and some of the
experiences shared are truly memorable.
Despite the slow start to the movie, after
a couple of minutes you’ll find yourself having trouble drawing yourself
away from it, even to go to the bathroom you’ll be reaching for the
pause button. Don’t be put off by the subtitles, this is a fabulously
written comedy about finding yourself, and is highly recommended.
Video:
The picture is nice and bright, and always full of color.
The skin tones seem fairly accurate, and everything is nice and sharp.
There is a small problem with film artifacts, but you won’t be
distracted by them.
Audio:
I think this is a really impressive mix here, maybe it’s
because I wasn’t concentrating on the voices (as it was mainly in other
languages), but it really draws you in. It’s quite an aggressive mix for
a film like this, and maybe a little too much so, but I liked it all the
same. The soundtrack is also one of the cooler ones I’ve heard in recent
times.
Extras:
Absolutely nothing, I’d give it less than zero if that
were possible, simple because such a movie deserves far better. |
