The Trip: movie review
Comic actors Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon have appeared together before, playing loose versions of themselves in Michael Winterbottom鈥檚 鈥淭ristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story,鈥� and they recap the gambit in 鈥淭he Trip,鈥� an even funnier Winterbottom escapade.
Steve (Coogan) is a disgruntled actor who has been asked to review upscale restaurants for The Observer during an improvised drive through northern England鈥檚 Lake District and Yorkshire Dales. When his girlfriend cancels at the last minute, he reluctantly takes along his friend Rob (Brydon), who is happily married though not so happily employed.
Ever the actor 鈥� or, to be more precise, mimic 鈥� Rob regales Steve on the road with some of the funniest impersonations I鈥檝e ever heard. Rob doesn鈥檛 just do Michael Caine, for example 鈥� he does Caine at differering stages in his career, from 鈥淎lfie鈥� to 鈥�The Dark Knight.鈥� He also does a mean Al Pacino, Sean Connery, Anthony Hopkins, Liam Neeson, and Woody Allen. And Steve nearly matches him shot for shot.
What鈥檚 especially funny is that many of these jags occur in tony restaurants where scrumptious, high-end dishes, which they barely notice, are lovingly placed before them. They鈥檙e not boors, exactly, just oblivious. The odyssey goes on a bit too long, and I suppose a taste for extra dry British comedy is a requirement, but this 鈥淭rip鈥� is well worth one. Grade: B+ (Unrated.)
