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"L'AUBERGE ESPAGNOLE" (2003) (Romain Duris, Cécile de France) (R) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Heavy Mild Heavy None None Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate None None None Extreme Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Extreme Moderate Mild Moderate None QUICK TAKE: Subtitled and English Drama: Various international students live together in a Barcelona apartment while enrolled in a foreign study program. PLOT: Xavier (ROMAIN DURIS) is a student in France who's decided to participate in the Erasmus foreign study program where he'll complete his senior year in Barcelona. That doesn't sit well with his hometown girlfriend, Martine (AUDREY TAUTOU), but he's soon off to the cosmopolitan city where he speaks little of its native language. For a while, he ends up staying with fellow Parisians Jean-Michel (XAVIER DE GUILLEBON) and Anne-Sophie (JUDITH GODRÈCHE) who have recently moved there. Jean-Michel is a neurologist and asks Xavier if he wouldn't mind escorting his new bride around the city since she similarly knows no one there. Xavier does and they eventually become more than friends. Nevertheless, he ends up finding a place in an apartment full of international students that includes English Wendy (KELLY REILLY) and later her brother William (KEVIN BISHOP); Spaniard Soledad (CRISTINA BRONDO); as well as Italian Alessandro (FEDERICO D'ANNA), Dane Lars (CHRISTIAN PAGH) and German Tobias (BARNABY METSCHURAT). When their landlord raises their rent, Xavier proposes that his Belgian lesbian classmate, Isabelle (CÉCILE DE FRANCE), join them, and soon their apartment is overflowing with people, languages and varied tastes. As the year progresses and everyone's lives unfold and develop, Xavier tries to juggle his classes, living situation, an affair with Anne-Sophie and his long distance relationship with Martine. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Unless they're fans of someone in the cast or French dramedies, it's not very likely. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R For language and sexual content. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: ROMAIN DURIS plays a French student who travels to Barcelona to participate in a foreign study type program. He uses strong profanity, cheats on his girlfriend with a married woman, smokes pot, drinks, and tries to fit in and find his place and happiness with the locals and his new surroundings. CÉCILE DE FRANCE plays Xavier's lesbian classmate who educates Xavier about women and what they want. She smokes several times, including once with pot. JUDITH GODRÈCHE plays a married woman who befriends and then has an affair with Xavier. AUDREY TAUTOU plays Xavier's hometown girlfriend who isn't happy that he's left or with the distance and time between them. She briefly uses strong profanity and may or may not have cheated on him. KELLY REILLY plays the American roommate who uses some strong profanity and cheats on her out of town boyfriend with another guy. XAVIER DE GUILLEBON plays Anne-Sophie's neurologist husband. He uses some profanity. KEVIN BISHOP plays Wendy's visiting relative who's somewhat brash, gets drunk and passes out in one scene. FEDERICO D'ANNA plays another roommate who smokes (including pot). CRISTINA BRONDO plays a hot-tempered Spanish roommate who smokes pot. CHRISTIAN PAGH and BARNABY METSCHURAT play other roommates. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: Here's a quick look at the content found in this R-rated drama. Profanity consists of at least 24 "f" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also used. Sexually related dialogue is also present, and one character is a lesbian and there's some related talk and activity. Other making out, fooling around, implied off-screen oral sex, and a nude man seen lying between a woman's legs are also seen. Nonsexual nudity (male bare butt, some pubic hair) is present, and a woman is seen in revealing lingerie in some fantasy moments. Various characters drink and/or smoke, some smoke pot and various bad attitudes are present (mainly in the form of people cheating on their significant others). Other imitative behavior is present and one character vomits while drunk. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Xavier and a man have drinks. Jean-Michel has wine. Various roommates smoke pot (including Alessandro, Soledad and others). We see bottles of wine on a table. We see beer and drinks on a table. Xavier and Isabelle share a joint. We see some wine on a table. We see beer and wine on a table. Xavier has a beer and others drink. We see beer, wine and liquor on a table in front of the various roommates. The various roommates drink at a club and then emerge, with Xavier and others appearing to be intoxicated to varying degrees (William vomits from that and later is passed out). As some of them walk away, it sounds like one talks about taking ecstasy. Alessandro has a beer. We see Xavier, Isabelle and two of their roomies holding beer. Xavier tries to distract Wendy's boyfriend by saying they should go and get some beer. Isabelle has a beer. Xavier and others drink in a bar. We see some wine on a table. Martine has wine and Xavier has beer. BLOOD/GORE William graphically vomits on the street and then has the dry heaves. We hear Xavier urinating on the same street while drunk (his back is to us and thus we don't see anything). DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Some locals make fun of Xavier and imitate him trying to talk on the phone. Wendy is upset that Isabelle is lesbian and thinks she should have disclosed that during her 'interview" to room with them. Xavier and Anne-Sophie end up having an affair (thus both cheat on their respective significant others). William makes somewhat disparaging remarks about Germans to the roommate who is German and then finishes that with some intended comical Hitler comments (that the roommate doesn't like). Xavier yells at his mother while upset. We learn that Wendy is cheating on her out-of-town boyfriend. Others then try to cover that up when that boyfriend unexpectedly shows up. FRIGHTENING SCENES None. GUNS/WEAPONS None. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases (most in English subtitles): "What a f*cking mess," "I'm going to f*ck" (said as a joke meaning "I'm going to the university"), "Shut the f*ck up," "F*cked," "It's f*cking ridiculous," "Up sh*t creek," "Sh*thole," "Holy sh*t," "No sh*t," "Bollocks," "Bums me out," "Shut up," "Jerks," "Chicks," "Balls" (testicles), "Bloody" (adjective), "Freaks me out," "Life's a bitch," "Bastard," "Idiot," "Sluts," "Piss me off" and "Moron." A guy has a tattoo on his arm. A man makes the gesture for female on male oral sex (moving his hand and making a bulge in his cheek with his tongue). We hear Xavier urinating on the same street while drunk (his back is to us and thus we don't see anything). Alessandro has an earring stud through the upper part of his ear. Isabelle wears a midriff-revealing top. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) None. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 24 "f" words, 8 "s" words, 2 slang terms using male genitals ("c*ck" and "pr*ck"), 3 asses, 3 damns, 1 bollocks, 6 uses of "Oh my God" and 1 use each of "G-damn," "My God" and "Oh God" as exclamations (most in English subtitles). Some of the "f" words are mispronunciations/misunderstandings of a French word for university that are then purposefully repeated for comic effect. SEX/NUDITY We briefly see Xavier sitting nude in a chair, typing. We see part of his pubic hair, as well as part of his bare butt. Xavier and Martine passionately kiss while saying good-bye at an airport. A large poster in Wendy's room shows a woman in lingerie and a nude man seen from the side (thus we see the side of his bare butt). We later see that poster again. A couple briefly kiss on a bed (both are lying down, but are clothed). Some small artwork on a wall shows a nude woman lying down (we see bare breasts, but nothing explicit or pornographic). Xavier learns that Isabelle is a lesbian and she admits to fooling around with her friend Sabine. Xavier and Martine do some brief and clothed passionate kissing. She also shows a little cleavage. We then see them in his room, starting to undress (nothing explicit). We then see the two in bed under the covers and it seems that they've had sex, but some talk indicates that they have not. During this, we see part of the top of her bare breast. Isabelle tells Xavier that her female dance instructor hit on her. We then see flashbacks to the woman instructing Isabelle, getting close to her, slapping her clothed butt and then doing some sensual and clothed passionate kissing with her. A man asks Xavier if he knows what a "Frenchie" is. When Xavier says he doesn't, the man makes the gesture for female on male oral sex (moving his hand and making a bulge in his cheek with his tongue). Anne-Sophie shows some cleavage in a low-cut dress. We see a brief lesbian kiss. We briefly see Xavier's fantasy of Anne-Sophie in some revealing lingerie. Xavier asks Isabelle if lesbians use dildos. The phrase "c*ck" is used and Isabelle then informs Xavier about what women want/need and of pleasure. She then explains and shows him how a man (or aggressive lesbian) treats a woman and what the receiving woman likes. Accordingly, she caresses him, talks of parting the thighs and holding the woman firmly and then grabs his butt (while both are clothed and she has him pushed back against a wall). She does some comic humping on him (clothed and standing) and then calls an unseen woman over to show him something that she says all men should learn (we don't see it as the scene ends, but she may be referring to oral sex on a woman). Xavier grabs Anne-Sophie outdoors, passionately kisses her and grabs her clothed butt. She initially tries to resist, but eventually gives in to temptation and passionately makes out with him. We then see them in a room as he nuzzles on her neck and then disappears below the head and shoulders shot. He presumably performs oral sex on her (we only see her pleasured expression). Xavier briefly comments on the above encounter (talking to Isabelle). One of the guys pulls lowers the back of his pants while drunk (his rear is away from the camera) and apparently moons the others (one woman spanks him there, but we don't see anything explicit). We see some cleavage. We see Xavier lying naked between Anne-Sophie's spread legs on a bed. She's dressed (but in her bra) and we see his bare butt. They are not having sex at this moment. A woman shows up and informs one of the men that her baby is his (apparently from a one-night stand). William briefly talks about and demonstrates the fly mating process (it turns out to be nothing explicit or graphic). We see Xavier (shirtless) and Anne-Sophie (in lingerie) sitting upright on a bed (apparently after sex). Wendy comments to Xavier about her having an affair and says that "It's f*cking sex." She then admits that she likes having sex. We see brief passionate kissing between Xavier and Martine, and Xavier and Anne-Sophie (in separate scenes). We see Xavier's fantasy view of Anne-Sophie on all fours in lingerie and garters (and the thong-like bottom shows most of her bare butt). We see Wendy asleep in her bed with a guy (no nudity or activity). Later, we see them somewhat wrestling and frolicking on her bed (he in his black briefs, she in a camisole-like outfit). When her boyfriend later unexpectedly shows up and enters her room, he instead discovers William and one of the other guys shirtless and under the covers (in a ruse to cover for Wendy cheating on that boyfriend with another guy). Xavier and Isabelle lie side-by-side (clothed) and as she runs her hand across his clothed chest, she says that it's too bad he's not a girl. There's a brief lesbian kiss. SMOKING Alessandro, Isabelle and one of the male roommates each smoke several times, while Wendy smokes once and a miscellaneous man smokes a cigar. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Xavier's parents are apparently divorced or separated. Anne-Sophie has an affair with Xavier and her husband later learns about this (there's very little confrontation, however). TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Studying abroad. Getting along with people of different nationalities and backgrounds. Long distance relationships. Cheating and affairs. A woman shows up and informs one of the men that her baby is his (apparently from a one-night stand). VIOLENCE None. Reviewed May 13, 2003 / Posted May 23, 2003

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