Five years after their year together in Barcelona, the exuberant flatmates from Pot Luck / L auberge espagnole (2002) reunite for a Russian wedding. With their student days behind them, they are close to 30 and facing career and relationship issues, yet remain young at heart. Xavier has become a writer, but still seems a little lost. Besides the difficulties of making a living he has problems settling down with a girl, embarking on one meaningless romantic encounter after another. To put it bluntly, he s a little messed up. Dividing his time between his ex-girl friend (Audrey Tautou), his mother, his passing romantic encounters and his lesbian pal (Cécile de France), Xavier has a hard time getting his work done properly, which is to create a simple love story for a TV series. Help though is at hand in the form of his former English fl atmate played by Kelly Reilly who also writes. What starts as a professional collaboration turns into something else – and the loose ends begin to unspiral at the unlikely wedding of her brother (Kevin Bishop) to a Russian ballerina (Evguenya Obraztsova) in St Petersburg. It all turns into a lively friends reunion.
Cédric Klapisch is one of today’s most popular French Director and his movies have regularly hit the French box office. Born in 1961, he worked on his first short films in the United States from 1983 to 1985. He started out as a DOP to finally become a film director. In 1989, his short film Ce qui me meut wins several prizes, one being the Perspectives of French Cinema Prize at the Cannes International Film Festival. He then directs his first feature in 1992, Little Nothings, which was nominated for the Cesars. His second, Good Old Daze, wins the 1993 Golden FIPA and Grand Prize at the 1994 Chamrousse Humour Film Festival.
In 1996, When the Cat’s Away is released, followed by Family Resemblances, his fourth feature which is awarded numerous prizes including three Cesars and the 1997 Lumière for Best Screenplay and Best Director. Maybe, starring Romain Duris and Jean-Paul Belmondo, is released in French cinemas in 1999. In 2002, Klapisch comes back to social comedy with The Spanish… read more
don't know why a man i used to know had a high opinion about this one. i think the story itself is pointless. just a guy in his late 20s trying to figure out who he want to fuck for the rest of his life. i am more than sure he won't ever find it. sorry, i don't like stories like these. give me inspiration
Just like L'Auberge he repeats songs quite a bit, but at least he picks some good'uns. They did a good job of presenting the "Russian dolls" concept at the end of the film, and it does make you wonder the answer to that question. A stylish film, to be sure. I'd probably watch another one if they make a trilogy out of it. Getting a bit tired fo Romain Duris, though.
Feliz seqüência do hit ALBERGUE ESPANHOL, superior ao filme original em sua leveza e simpatia. Tanto a direção quanto o roteiro de Klapisch estão mais enxutos e o cineasta utiliza bem as angústias do protagonista para refletir com otimismo sobre as possibilidades de comunicação dentro do processo de globalização. Faz isso com bom humor e elegância. O elenco secundário do filme anterior também está de volta.
A bit better than "L'auberge espagnole" in terms of cinematography and music, but not much else. The character development wasn't as contrasted as in the first one, and the premise as a whole was ill-conceived. The characters as a whole, however, are still likeable.
A good sequel to “L’auberge espagnole”, however I think I prefer the first one more because I could relate to it more.
In this film they are all in their 30s, working on their careers and growing… read review