Monday Night Film Series: The Trip To Spain

Following their culinary outings to England’s Lake District in The Trip and down the Italian coast in The Trip to Italy, Steve Coogan (Philomena, Alan Partridge) and Rob Brydon (Tristram Shandy) team up once more to indulge in Iberian epicurean delights, trade barbs, and compete to perfect the ultimate Michael Caine impression, in the much-anticipated Trip to Spain.

After the success of Coogan’s travelogue and reviews of English and Italian restau­rants, The New York Times commissions a new piece; this time, he is sent to Spain with the ever-reliable Brydon in tow. Soaking in the culinary riches of the Basque region, which boasts several of the best reviewed restaurants in the world, and moving through the coun­try to the Mediterranean coast, Coogan and Brydon devour envy-inspiring meals, while reviving their iconic and devastatingly funny impressions of Michael Caine, Al Pacino, and Roger Moore (with a new and accomplished Mick Jagger joining the roster).

Between the meals, jokes, and meandering drives throughout the Spanish countryside, cracks begin to show in Coogan and Brydon’s optimistic veneer. Despite their insistence that they’re at “the sweet spot” of their lives, the pair spends substantial amounts of time reminiscing about their younger selves and earlier films (Philomena is mentioned repeat­edly), while negotiating the difficult task of coming to terms with their older selves, and more settled family lives. Still crackling with the improvisational energy and vibrancy of the first two installments, The Trip to Spain provides a reliable mix of breathtaking vistas, indulgent meals, and Coogan and Brydon’s hilarious odd-couple comedy.

The Trip to Spain | Monday Night Film Series | Tilley Hall, Room 102, UNB Campus | October 2, 2017 – 7:30pm | See full schedule