Spain... On The Road Again
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Movie Reviews of Spain... On The Road Again
Movie Review: Spain: Not Just Tapas, People!
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm nearly going blind watching this show as our antenna does not pick up PBS very well, but I am still addicted! Don't be fooled by the title "Spain". Yes, this takes place in Spain, but it is very much in the format of Mark Bittman's culinary explorations around the world, also aired on PBS. Bittman is a brilliant, self-abasing, mildly abusive food critic for the New York Times, & he is one of the four travelers on this sorta wacky foodie expedition across Spain. No, it's not an insider's Spanish travel guide (though a Spanish actress does join them & offer some bizarre dieting advice), but you're never meant to think it is. They do take some side trips away from food & mussels eaten straight out of the ocean (& wine, so much wine) to do interesting things one can only do in Spain. But mostly it's about eating in Spain & talking about eating in Spain. It might remind you of a college road trip, only with far more fascinating people & a better car (a convertible Mercedes, whereas mine was a Ford Tempo constantly on the verge of dying). Also the food is much better than your college road trips, but the conversation just as meandering & nonsensical & fun. I cannot wait until this comes out on DVD so I can actually see the food & the countryside! Pathetic, yes, I know. I didn't even like Gwyneth Paltrow before I saw this show, & now I think she's just charming & would love to scarf down a paella pan & a plate of french fries with her. We would also need some of that fantastic Spanish wine they keep raving about, & Mark Bittman to make dry assertions, Mario to wax poetic about EVERYTHING, & Claudia to tell us that olive oil cannot possibly make us fat.Movie Review: Culinary Delight!
Summary: 5 Stars
If you want to take a trip through Spain and it's culinary specialties this is a nice way to do it.
I love this series. I love it so much that hope one day they decide to audition one of us un-famous people to take along on their next road trip!
I felt like I was on a road trip with a nice group of friends that truly enjoyed each other and their experiences.
It was a once in a lifetime trip for Mario Batali, Gwyneth Paltrow, Mark Bittman and Claudia Bassols. Their interest, enthusiasm and eagerness to learn from the people who grew, created and cooked local food was infectious. I don't watch much TV, but I could not wait to see this show on a weekly basis. Which is why I bought is as I missed some shows and just enjoyed it.
They traveled to places one would normally not get to go. They met people who created food that I've always heard of or eaten but never knew where it came from. Plus they stopped at cultural places and gave small historical backgrounds on many places they visited. Mario was the historian, Claudia the interpreter and very smart, Mark was so funny and well versed in food, and I have a new found respect for Gwenyth as she is well read in food, loves food like the rest of us and seems like a very devoted Mom.
You can see some excerpts from the show on line before you buy it. Check it out, if you enjoy food, it's worth the trip!
Movie Review: Sheer Perfection
Summary: 5 Stars
I am not sure if it is the players, the setting, the food (or all three) but this series resonated deeply. It is, without a doubt, one of the best documentaries ever filmed, a masterwork of editing. First and foremost is Mario - chef, critic, story teller, flirt and gadabout. Gwyneth ("GP") offers insight and humor as well as a good appetite. Mark, the reporter, is the perfect foil to Batali and Claudia is the gorgeous dressing on the salad.
Two distinctive elements stand out: First, they do more than run around gobbling food. They visit sites, investigate history and lore, talk culture and politics and religion AND - the perfect touch - family and kids. Second, the fantastic meals are not at five star restaurants but in mountain shacks, on the beach, in a smoky underground cooker, over an open fire in a vineyard. We are introduced to the cuisine of Spain in a unique and mouthwatering way.
The humor is infectious, like when the gals go to the spa and the guys insist they are going to "work out at the gym". Gwyneth thinks the idea is hilariously preposterous and swears she will run through the vineyard naked if they are exercising. The camera switches from the girls to scenes of Mark and Mario eating, laughing, drinking at one establishment after another. Both offer running commmentary on the food and the trip as the girls undergo beauty treatments. Hilarious!
My grade: A+
Movie Review: Four folks living my fantasy
Summary: 5 Stars
Reading the reviews of this show is quite interesting. It seems that the people who were looking for a cooking show were disappointed. The same for those looking for a travel show. To me this is a just a road trip with four folks I can identify with taking in the sights, foods, and culture of Spain.
Mario is the phat philosopher (phat in the Vietnamese sense meaning "hot, cool, tempting or attractive" OK, maybe in the other sense too) He continuously wears ugly orange crocks, carries an oversize orange "man purse" but proves quite knowlegable on Spanish history as well as cuisine. He seems to appreciate the down home kitchens as well as starred establishments.
Mark Bittman or Bitty as they call him on the show seems to love life, women and eating. I've not read his books or columns before but have become a fan of his ascerbic outlook on the culinary scene.
Paltrow,the non meat eater has an attitude of "I'm concerned about the plight of animals and don't accept factory farms" while being able to eat and drink with a panache usually reserved for carnivores. She doesn't come off snooty about her food choices.
And Bassols: that lady can eat! And Laugh! I find this show enchanting and it's my secret pleasure to fold up on the couch with a glass of wine and watch happy people who appear to enjoy each others company travel in an enchanting land.....bg
Movie Review: Wine, Food, and Friends on Holiday
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a great upbeat road trip. I learned more about Spain than I ever could from a "regular" travel show that just showcased a few cities. This is just a peek at many aspects of Spanish life. Mario seems to know a fair bit about Spanish history and places.
I chose the DVD over the book, since here in the middle of the USA there is no way I can get the fresh seafood that seems to be everywhere in Spain. No. they don't give out recipes, but most of what is eaten is described and cooked right in front of you, often with just salt and olive oil. I would have no trouble recreating many of the dishes in this show given the proper ingredients.
This video inspires rather than instructs. From the well-matched personalities to the catchy music, this is entertaining food TV. If you don't want to watch people eating and talking about eating then you won't like this DVD. It's a casual tour with friends, and some amazing tapas! Just thinking about it has made me ravenous.