Arrow-right Camera

Color Scheme

Subscribe now

Take a “Trip to Spain’ at the Lantern on Friday

Add Spokesman-Review on Google

One of the more entertaining comedy duos that have come along in the past decade is the one that features Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon . Both are known in Britain, though less so on this side of the Atlantic, for their individual work — much of it on the BBC.

It was on the BBC that they teamed to do a series called, directly enough, “The Trip.” Out of that series, with the help of director Michael Winterbottom, they’ve shaped three feature films: 2010’s “The Trip,” 2014’s “The Trip to Italy” and this year’s “The Trip to Spain.”

It is that third film, which again teams the two as old friends — in the sense of an old married couple — who go around first England, then Italy and now Spain — staying in posh spots, eating good food (that Coogan’s character is supposed to be reviewing) and trying to one-up each other with comic bits. Mostly impressions.

No one does Michael Caine better than these two. Even Caine himself.

“The Trip to Spain” opens Friday at the Magic Lantern . And if you needed any more reason to see the film, check out these reviews:

Christopher Kompanek , Washington Post: “The mercurial nature of fame acts as an ideal metaphor for the fleeting and uncertain nature of life itself - all of which, in the masterful hands of Brydon, Coogan and Winterbottom, goes down more smoothly than a glass of Rioja.”

Alan Scherstuhl , Village Voice: “The Trip to Spain is a breezy study of aging men afraid they’ve lost their potency, their command of life, their once-certain enshrinement in the culture. It is at once a desperate echo of long-gone glories and a glory itself.”

David Sims , The Atlantic: “A gentle, relaxing delight, with just enough uproarious conversation and a touch of regret. In other words, it’s a perfect piece of British comedy comfort food.”

And who doesn’t love comfort food, even if it is British?

* This story was originally published as a post from the blog "Movies & More." Read all stories from this blog