Cédric Klapisch had been making films in France for ten years before he made his little film about a group of study abroad students from all over Europe working to understand each other, discover a new culture, and find themselves along the way.
This little film, L’Auberge Espagnole, aka The Spanish Apartment or Potluck depending on where you find it, connected with people and became his biggest success. And rightly so – it’s a charming film about figuring out what to do with your life and is made by a filmmaker who clearly is having fun while making it. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we kick off a series about Klapisch’s ‘Spanish Apartment’ trilogy with his 2002 film L’Auberge Espagnole.
We talk about the charm of this film and why it works so well with us. We look at some of the cast – notably Romain Duris, Judith Godrèche, Audrey Tautou, Cécile de France, Kevin Bishop, and Kelly Reilly – and why they all manage to work so well in their roles. We look at the nature of infidelity and how it fits into a story like this. And we talk about some of the clever filmmaking to sell the insanity of the ‘structured’ world and why it makes for such a visually fun film.
It’s a joyful film to watch and one that works really well for us. Check it out then tune in! The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins.
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Film Sundries
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- Watch this film: iTunes • Amazon
- Script Transcript
- Original theatrical trailer
- Original poster artwork
- Flickchart
- Letterboxd
