Xavier (Romain Duris), a French university student, is serious about his future. A friend of his father's tells him that if he studies economics for a year in Barcelona, he can land a fantastic job after graduation. Leaving behind his sweet girlfriend Martine (Audrey Tautou of Amelie), Xavier jets off to Barcelona for a year of adventure. As is generally the case when one studies abroad, Xavier ends up learning more about life, relationships, and himself than he does about economic theory.

"L'Auberge Espagnole" means, literally, "Spanish Inn," but is an idiom referring to the mixing of cultures. The subtitles in the film translate this phrase to mean "Euro Pudding."

Xavier's father, who does not appear much in the film, seems business-minded and distant, while Xavier's mother is an old hippie. While she is always interested in talking, Xavier keeps his feelings hidden. She asks her son if he is sure he is doing the right thing by going abroad for a year. "Shut up, mom!" he yells. But, as he walks to his plane, we see Xavier crying subtly, revealing that he is nervous about his impending trip.

Life is chaotic, L'Auberge Espagnole tells us, and the more you learn to appreciate the unpredictable nature of the world, the happier you will be. Everything happens for a reason, and most people are genuinely good, at least in this film, written and directed by Cédric Klapisch.

At the baggage claim, Xavier meets a Frenchman named Jean-Michel, a neurologist who is moving to Barcelona to work in a hospital. It is not immediately obvious that the woman by his side is his wife since she acts so shy and submissive. Although Xavier, in the narration, tells us that Jean-Michel is the type of man he tries to avoid, Xavier ends up crashing on the young couple's couch when his early attempts to find an apartment fail. The beautiful Anne-Sophie (Judith Godrèche) is afraid to go out alone, so Jean-Michel asks Xavier to accompany her on sight-seeing trips around the gorgeous city.

L'Auberge Espagnole has three parts, flitting around from focusing on the relationship among Jean-Michel, Xavier, and Anne-Sophie, the interactions of the multicultural group living in Xavier's apartment, and Xavier's relationship with Martine, which begins to unravel as he becomes immersed in Barcelona culture. The most interesting parts of the movie take place in the apartment or at university bars. The mixing of cultures and group dynamics are fascinating. However, I felt that the film should have spent more time with Xavier's friends, as the only two characters given depth are the high-strung English girl Wendy (Kelly Reilly), the only person in the apartment who seems to care whether or not things are kept tidy, and the Belgian Isabelle (Cécile De France), who, in a hilarious scene, teaches Xavier a thing or two about how to please a woman.

In fact, the characters were so interesting and adorable that, if they made a sit-com based on this film, I would be sure to tune in each week.

The majority of the film is in either French or Spanish with English subtitles. Since I speak only English, I certainly missed some of the subtleties of the film. However, I did notice that Anne-Sophie refers to Xavier in the formal (vous) form despite the fact that she is considerably older than he is.

The funniest part of the film, for me, is in English. Wendy's brother William (Kevin Bishop) comes to visit and winds up alienating himself by making racist remarks about nearly every nationality represented in the apartment. From calling Xavier a "frog" to comparing the German guy's neatness to Hitler making the trains run on time, William is offensive to everyone, and he's a riot.

Most of the film is quite fast-moving, to mirror the excitement of the city of Barcelona and the turmoil in Xavier's life. At the beginning, the filmmakers adopt an interesting style of fast-motion photography as Xavier struggles with the burocracy of Erasmus, his study abroad program.

Featured prominently in the lovely soundtrack is Radiohead's "No Surprises" from OK Computer.

My 88-year-old grandparents, 25-year-old cousins, and 53-year-old mother also enjoyed this movie immensely.

Recommended: Yes