The Trip To Spain Review – Fun-Filled, Michelin Rated, A Gastronomy Orgasm

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Category: Film

Published on Friday, 11 August 2017 08:17

Written by Janet Walker

The Trip to Spain, from IFC Films and Revolution Films, presents the third road film, that have our companions headed to parts unknown to write reviews from the premiere, off the beaten path, restaurants for marketing and film promotion.

Directed by Michael Winterbottom, The Trip to Spain stars Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, as themselves along with Marto Barrio, Claire Keelan, Justin Edwards, Margo Stilley, Rebecca Johnson, Timothy Leach, Kerry Shale and Kyle Soller.

The Trip to Spain, the third trip film, is built around the premise of Steve Coogan, in this installment life mirroring career, an Oscar winner for Philomena, and Rob Brydon, a well-known actor in the U.K. and somewhat obscure in the United States contracted by local newspapers, The New York Times for Coogan and The Observer for Brydon in the promotion of a film to write a series of six restaurant reviews.

With this as the background, the two set off to rediscover themselves, friendship, life and enjoy the gastronomy of Spain as they travel from the northern region to the southern.

Some things has changed with our dynamic duo as they head out, a bit older and jaded, Coogan has finally come to the conclusion that he is in love with Mischa, played by Margo Stilley, who is less than enthusiastic about him.

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Brydon, after the last film, has settled back into married life with his wife, Sally, played by Rebecca Johnson, none the wiser and a new teething baby.

The adventure begins as they pull out the Rand McNally and toss the GPS, finding the best routes through London to the coast, the two take the ferry to Spain. In between impressions, which the two hit well on some and miss slightly on others, they pick up their friendship where they left off in the last Trip or should we say, trippy, film.

A car carrying ferry takes them from Portsmouth, an hour from London, and head to Santander, Spain. The ferry journey, on the off chance anyone plans to recreate, is nearly 24 hours.

Once they arrive in Spain, the fun picks up with our two actors, volleying impressions back and forth, with Mick Jagger, Sean Connery, Robert De Niro and Roger Moore,  featured throughout as each believe their impersonation is better.

The real star of the film, of course, is the stunning countryside, an off the beaten path journey that even should one hop the ferry or land in Barcelona, would in all likelihood, by pass as they are little known and not in the touristy meccas.  

We also find out Steve’s LA Agent, Matt, played by Kerry Shale, has left the agency without informing Steve and his assistant Johnathan, played by Kyle Soller, will now be handling his client list, well those who didn’t leave with Matt.

And of course, the long term assistant who handles all the details, Emma, played by Claire Keelan, is still happy and meeting up on location in a few.

Steve’s U.K. Agent, played by Justin Edwards, is dodging the truth that Steve’s new film, a sister film to his Oscar winning Philomena, is waiting for the green light.

So suddenly the two, a Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, are wandering the hills, and vast countryside where Dinosaurs once roamed and the world’s most revered and famous writers have journeyed to find themselves or inspiration.

The Trip to Spain is the third installment in the series and for the armchair traveler they are a gastronomy orgasm of epicurean delight as the sights and sounds of sizzling delicacies from the deep, elegantly plated entrees and mouthwatering desserts are featured throughout.

The films, which began in 2010 have featured the lush and romantic countryside in the North, which seems to have its own identity in the United Kingdom; the alluring and cosmopolitan Trip to Italy, a gorgeous, mix of winding roads through Tuscany down the Almafi coast to Naples, and now our trip to Spain which begins on the northern coast and travels through the interior to castles carved out of cliffs, stunning structures dating back thousands of years, walled fortresses, and the cobblestoned streets winding through villages and towns.

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Throughout the trips audiences are treated to a vicarious vacation of sorts, a preview, without the hassles, disappointments or unfilled expectations of holiday mishaps, wrong turns and misadventures.

The Trip To Spain, also offers the vast pull back, overheads shots of landscape and a country that is breathtaking. The cinematopgrphy is stunning; euro infrastructure, highways, and byways. Escaping ones limited thinking and beliefs one can see fine stretches of road meant for driving.

The Trip to Spain is well worth the time. An adventure film along the lines of “Road Series” with Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour, our two comedians trade barbs and play dueling impressions, while we travel along enjoying the view from the back seat, no worries, no cares, (and no calories).

I suppose it would be remiss if I didn’t add also played in our film, our two leads have now reached what is officially middle age and one Rob, settled with very small children, wonders if he’ll be physically able to participate in his son’s life and the other finally in love, to the point that life, with all its deadlines, holds nothing and tired of chasing rainbows, issues the ultimate challenge.

Fun-filled, A Trip to Spain, is a Michelin rated five star flick, with introductions to Spanish culture, cuisine and the vast countryside. Join the adventure.

A Trip to Spain opens in theaters everywhere August 11, 2017.