''Off Course'' ( es, Perdiendo el norte, links=no) is a 2015 Spanish comedy film directed by Nacho G. Velilla. The movie touches on the topics of youth unemployment and

underemployment Underemployment is the underuse of a worker because a job does not use the worker's skills, is part-time, or leaves the worker idle. Examples include holding a part-time job despite desiring full-time work, and overqualification, in which the em ...

, economic emigration, estrangement (from family), language barriers,

Alzheimer's Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As t ...

infertility Infertility is the inability of a person, animal or plant to reproduce by natural means. It is usually not the natural state of a healthy adult, except notably among certain eusocial species (mostly haplodiploid insects). It is the normal state ...

and other subjects. It is an Atresmedia Cine production.

Plot

Overeducated, underemployed professionals Hugo (

Yon González Yon González Luna (born 20 May 1986) is a Spanish actor. He is probably best known for his performance as Iván Noiret León in the Antena 3 series '' The Boarding School'' (''El internado''), as well as for his role of Julio Olmedo/Espinosa i ...

, trained in the financial sector) and Braulio ( Julián López, a scientist) are lured to

migrate Migration, migratory, or migrate may refer to: Human migration * Human migration, physical movement by humans from one region to another ** International migration, when peoples cross state boundaries and stay in the host state for some minimum le ...

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

by a TV programme showing an interview with an émigré who describes

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

employment Employment is a relationship between two parties regulating the provision of paid labour services. Usually based on a contract, one party, the employer, which might be a corporation, a not-for-profit organization, a co-operative, or any othe ...

paradise. Hugo literally runs into Carla (

Blanca Suárez Blanca Martínez Suárez (born 21 October 1988) is a Spanish actress. She is best known for her performances on television series '' The Boarding School'' (2007–10), '' The Boat'' (2011–13), and the Spanish Language Netflix series' ''Las ch ...

), a fellow Spaniard who has finally broken through as a professional after a similar struggle with underemployment, within minutes of arriving in Berlin. Hugo and Braulio room with Carla and her drug-dealing slacker brother Rafa (Miki Esparbé), sharing a building with an older Spanish expatriate, Andrés (

José Sacristán José María Sacristán Turiégano (born 27 September 1937), better known as José Sacristán, is a Spanish film, theatre, and television actor. At Gijón International Film Festival in 2015, he received the Nacho Martinez Award. At the 60 ...

), who sees the struggles of his generation echoed in Hugo and Braulio. A dispiriting, fruitless search for work in their trained professions ensues, as the language barrier proves insurmountable. Hugo and Braulio are eventually (under)employed by Hakan (Younes Bachir) in his

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

café along with Rafa. After his father Próspero (

Javier Cámara Javier Cámara Rodríguez (born 19 January 1967) is a Spanish actor. He became known for two television roles as a priest in '' ¡Ay, señor, señor!'' and ''Éste es mi barrio''. He has since featured in films such as ''Torrente, the Dumb Arm ...

) loses his job, Hugo ends up sending most of his earnings (accompanied by lies about his employment status and importance) back to

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, where his father, his mother Beni (

Carmen Machi María del Carmen Machi Arroyo (born 7 January 1963) is a Spanish actress. She become popular for her role as Aída in the television series ''7 vidas'' and ''Aída''. Biography María del Carmen Machi Arroyo was born on 7 January 1963 in Madr ...

), and his fiancee Nadia ( Úrsula Corberó) make a spontaneous decision after hearing his glowing stories to visit him in Berlin. Carla and Hugo have grown close after an initial mutual dislike, with Carla confessing she seems to always end up as "the other woman" in a relationship. Carla relates a story of how she attended a friend's wedding alone, since her boyfriend at the time had another commitment, finding out only at the wedding that said commitment was marrying her friend. In a subplot, Hakan and his wife Marisol (

Malena Alterio Malena Grisel Alterio Bacaicoa (born 21 January 1974) is an Argentine-born Spanish actress. She became well known with the Spanish TV series ''Aquí no hay quien viva'', playing the role of Belén López Vázquez. Movies * ''Espejo, espejo' ...

) are unable to conceive a child, despite Marisol's desperation. The doctor informs them that they will undergo tests to determine if one of them is

sterile Sterile or sterility may refer to: *Asepsis, a state of being free from biological contaminants * Sterile (archaeology), a sediment deposit which contains no evidence of human activity *Sterilization (microbiology), any process that eliminates or ...

. While attempting to sell his

sperm Sperm is the male reproductive cell, or gamete, in anisogamous forms of sexual reproduction (forms in which there is a larger, female reproductive cell and a smaller, male one). Animals produce motile sperm with a tail known as a flagellum, whi ...

to fund German language lessons, Braulio encounters Marisol at the

fertility clinic Fertility clinics are medical clinics that assist couples, and sometimes individuals, who want to become parents but for medical reasons have been unable to achieve this goal via the natural course. Clinics apply a number of diagnosis tests and s ...

, and she suggests that she could pay for his lessons if he donates sperm "without the middleman." Although she successfully conceives a child, Hakan soon learns that he is sterile and does not believe that he could have fathered Marisol's child. Another subplot revolves around the irascible Andrés, who is revealed to have an estranged daughter living in Spain. During the course of the movie, he is diagnosed with

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...

. When Hugo's parents and fiancee visit him in Berlin, Rafa, Carla, Hakan and Marisol play different roles as Hugo's employees. Carla is introduced as Hugo's secretary, and Nadia is introduced as Hugo's fiancee. Upon learning this, Carla believes that Hugo is no different than the other men she has dated, seeing herself as "the other woman", and angrily reveals the truth behind Hugo's employment. Meanwhile, Hakan catches Marisol congratulating Braulio for successfully fathering a child and cuts off contact with both of them. Hugo returns to Spain to work for Nadia's father while they prepare for the wedding. Hugo finds Andrés's daughter and informs her of her father's diagnosis, telling her that the wrong decision can cause a lifetime of regret. On the day of the wedding, Próspero gives Hugo a speech telling him he should marry for love, not money; emboldened, Hugo jilts Nadia at the altar and flies to Berlin, where he finds Carla jogging amongst thousands in the

Berlin Marathon The Berlin Marathon (german: Berlin-Marathon, ) is a marathon event held annually on the streets of Berlin, Germany on the last weekend of September. Held annually since 1974, the event includes multiple races over the marathon distance of , inclu ...

. Hugo and Carla reconcile, as do Hakan and Marisol, who is forced to give birth in the café's delivery van (with Braulio and Andrés attending) on the way to the hospital, as they are caught in marathon-induced traffic. As the movie closes, Braulio wins a scientific fellowship to

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, Hugo's parents' home is repossessed, Carla and Hugo are living together in Berlin with their "extended" family of Hakan, Marisol, and their daughter; and Andrés's daughter has come to Berlin to care for her father.

Cast

Reception

The film debuted to receipts of million over its opening weekend. Gross receipts reached $11.5 million by June 2015.

Awards and nominations

References

External links