It’s been a while since a movie made me laugh all the way through, but this one did the trick! The Trip to Spain is the third installment of director Michael Winterbottom’s film adaptations of The Trip, a British television series. Its story line focuses on two writer/actors driving through Spain, sampling wonderful food, trading loud banter and pulling off amazing celebrity impressions. Rob Brydon (left) and Steve Coogan are so funny and engaging, it feels like you’re at their table or in the back seat of their Range Rover, listening while they ‘perform.’ I wasn’t familiar with their previous work, but I’m sure they do an admirable job of playing fictionalized versions of themselves! Brydon appears as a family man, and Coogan as a single dad; both are talented comedians and voice impressionists who conjure up everyone from Mick Jagger to Marlon Brando as they enjoy beautifully prepared meals in cafes and restaurants. And the stunningly filmed hills and countryside they drive through made me want to book a flight. I also loved the intermittent shots of food being lovingly prepared in busy Spanish kitchens—a nod to the country’s culinary scene.
Should you see it? Yes, I loved it! – J.J.