The Trip to Spain (2017)

☆ ☆ ☆ ½

The Trip to Spain (2017) – M. Winterbottom

This is the third in a series of films (edited from the respective TV series) directed by Michael Winterbottom and starring Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon playing “versions” of themselves on a tour of restaurants sponsored by The Observer newspaper (in the UK for The Trip, 2010; then The Trip to Italy, 2014, and now in Spain).  As before, the two comics poke fun at each other -- with Coogan’s supposedly fragile ego creating the main emotional dynamic of the film.  He defensively promotes himself (his Oscar nomination for writing Philomena, 2013, figures prominently), puts Brydon down (though the latter is good natured about it, while still getting some good digs in), and deals with crises in his professional and personal life.  But the centrepiece of the film is the visits to various Spanish restaurants and out-of-the-way tourist stops and the non-stop banter between the two men.  Half of the running length seems to be impressions of Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Marlon Brando, the cast of Monty Python (“no one expects the Spanish Inquisition” of course), and more.  It’s absurd and ridiculous and made me laugh (which few “normal” comedies do these days).  Of course, there’s a fairly good chance that this is particularly funny to me since another emotional undercurrent has to do with guys turning 50.  You never can tell though how much of this “reality” show is reality and how much is scripted (for example, wives and girlfriends here are played by actors); even the references to Coogan and Brydon’s own careers might contain only enough truth to give us the illusion of reality.  But enough is funny and “true”(probably half-assed and half-improvised) that this is an enjoyable hour or two away from the real reality watching these guys joust with the windmills of their minds.