**** (out of five)
The simple fact of the matter is that if you enjoyed The Trip and The Trip To Italy, you’re going to enjoy The Trip to Spain – it’s more of the same, but in Spain. Likewise, there is a relative correlation – if you loved the first two movies, as I did, you’ll love this one. I did.
Once again our intrepid food reviewers Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon drive around a gorgeous country eating amazing food and keeping each other amused, often with impersonations of British movie stars (yes, for the uninitiated, that is the actual conceit of the franchise). This time Roger Moore comes in as the most imitated, followed closely by Mick Jagger. Sir Ian McKellan gets a good look in too along with sundry others. Coogan, this time, is contemplating writing a travel book inspired by an earlier sexual conquest in Spain; to give the film even the tiniest pretence of drama, both actors are having slight issues with agents in the United States.
Once again Michael Winterbottom shoots the country and its food spectacularly while getting out of the way of his two brilliant clowns. I laughed like a drain. There is one extended sequence during which the entire critic’s screening room I was in sounded like it was about to combust from laughing so hard. Although these films were originally intended for television (in half-hour form), they are best enjoyed in as full a cinema as possible to partake of the laugh orgy inevitably inspired.
Just see this. It’s the funniest film of 2017; it’s that simple.
