7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.1 |
As part of a job that he is promised, Xavier, an economics student in his late twenties, signs on to a European exchange program in order to gain working knowledge of the Spanish language. Promising that they'll remain close, he says farewell to his loving girlfriend, then heads to Barcelona. Following his arrival, Xavier is soon thrust into a cultural melting pot when he moves into an apartment full of international students. An Italian, an English girl, a boy from Denmark, a young woman from Belgium, a German and a girl from Andalucia all join him in a series of adventures that serve as an initiation to life.
Starring: Cécile De France, Romain Duris, Kelly Reilly, Audrey Tautou, Judith GodrècheForeign | 100% |
Romance | 70% |
Drama | 24% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
Confirmed from disc on the player.
French SDH, English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A hilarious, witty and perhaps a bit depressing, Cedric Klapisch’s "L’auberge espagnole" a.k.a. "The Spanish Apartment" was one of the biggest international hits in 2002. Thanks to a motley crew of characters and an interesting, though fittingly veiled in humor, view on the changing landscape of Europe, the film generated far more critical reviews than it actually deserved. Courtesy of French distributors Studio Canal.
The roommates
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with VC-1, and granted a 1080p transfer Cedric Klapisch's L'auberge espagnole a.k.a The Spanish Apartment arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French distributors Studio Canal.
I don't believe there is much you would find with this VC-1 encode to be unhappy with. The color-scheme looks very pleasing – yellows, blues, whites, greens, and blacks are lush and well-saturated. The film's intended soft look is certainly kept intact, and I definitely did not detect any examples of DNR manipulation. Contrast is also satisfying and a quick comparison with the R1 SDVD release by 20th Century Fox reveals how substantially stronger the Blu-ray disc is when it comes to detail. Furthermore, even though I noticed a few minor bits of edge-enhancement during some of the outdoor scenes in the second half of the film, I wasn't disturbed by it. In fact, L'auberge espagnole looks as natural and unprocessed as I hoped it would. Finally, the print provided by Studio Canal is notably healthy as well – there aren't any specks, debris, or dirt to detract from your viewing experience. (Note: This is Region-B "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).
Studio Canal have provided an outstanding French: DTS-HD MA 5.1 track for L'auberge espagnole. I was very much looking forward to hearing the audio mix on this disc and, suffice to say, my expectations were met. First of all, the dialog is extremely easy to follow and there aren't any balance issues to report with it. Second, the diverse music soundtrack is blended with the dialog quite nicely – there aren't any impressive show-off scenes that will test the muscles of your home equipment, but the DTS-HD MA 5.1 track certainly adds a lot more that I never noticed on the R1 SDVD release (the farewell scene for example at the very end of L'auberge espagnole where everyone dances and then kisses goodbye sounds terrific). Finally, I did not detect any hissings, pops, or cracks. Optional English and French subtitles are provided for the main feature.
There are a number of supplemental materials on this disc but, unfortunately, they are not subtitled in English. They are also in standard-def PAL, so unless you have a player capable of converting PAL-NTSC, or a TV set capable of accepting PAL signal directly, you won't be able to access the following:
- Making of L'auberge espagnole
- 14 deleted scenes (with a commentary by Cedric Klapisch)
- A short film by Cedric Klapisch: Le poison russe
- Trailer
- Video Calibration kit
- Audio Calibration kit
I've seen L'auberge espagnole more than a dozen times now, and though I certainly find its tone, execution, and playfulness to be notably less convincing than that of its sequel Les poupées russes, I enjoy going back to it every now and then. As it is the case with most Klapisch films they get better, and perhaps a tad more sentimental (just the way I like modern French cinema), with repeated viewings. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of Studio Canal, comes highly recommended if Region-B locks do not bother you.
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