Wouldn't it be interesting to film a movie of actors who have known each get together for lunch to try exquisite food from the finest restaurants, strike a conversation about their daily lives while taking advantage to do funny impressions of famous celebrities? In "The Trip" Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon make that all possible as two not-so-close companions travel towards the northern English coutnryside to critique the local gourmet foods they were assigned to do, while also taking the time and liberty to ostracise the upper class while impersonating famous celebrities. Just like their previous outing, "Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story", Coogan and Brydon are acting under their real names.
Steve Coogan was the chosen one by the Observer Newspaper to travel to the English countryside to give his humble opinion about the food served in the fanciest restaurants. His only credentials for this job was being born in Manchester, England and consumes a lot of food. His original intention was to bring his American girlfriend along for the trip, but then she backs down and Rob Brydon takes her spot and open-handedly offers him 45% of the fee. Brydon says bye to his wife and children and goes off on the journey under grey dismal skies.
Under the direction of Michael Winterbottom, "The Trip" does have a by-the-numbers structure it follows. Steve and Rob have a chat in his car, they strike a conversation over breakfast, lunch and dinner. Coogan has an affair behind his girlfriend's back, Coogan is standing besides picturesque landscapes, food is served and ready to be eaten, and we get shots of the car going down highways and freeways.
The movie might not be interesting to others, but to me it's original for a plot device that has been done to death many times before mainly because I like it when performers impersonate famous Hollywood celebrities and poke fun at their elitist demeanour they are most famous for. The nice thing about it though is that they seem very competitive about it which adds to the fun and the laughs. Their impressions ranged from celebrities like Michael Caine, Ian McKellen, Sean Connery, Al Pacino and Woody Allen amongst many others. Brydon's impressive versatility of Caine's voice ranges from his much younger days in the 1965 "The Ipcress Files", to his later years where cigars and wishkey took a toll on his voice giving it that more rough and husky sound.
It's not just played for subtle laughs though as their is some dramatic tones subliminally played in the narrative and there might be some rivalry between the two main characters. It appears that Steve's relationship with his girlfriend isn't all that rosy but that's not the only thing he's lamenting at. As a performer he has been greatly overshadowed by the much bigger high-prolific while he's been dragged down as a B-actor when he believes he deserves more. He also feels more deserved of that spotlight more than Brydon and doesn't be stuck as a one-dimensional comic actor.
Though the emphisis on this movie is the food they eat, it's really actually more secondary to the plot. At least director Winterbottom arbitrarily takes us into these kitchens as we watch the cooks to see how the food is perfected. The main cuisine of choice is mostly scallops which will likely make my mouth water. While a breakfast that consists of black pudding looks like something that I'll never eat in my lifetime.
The locality of their journey explores the beautiful landscapes of Lake District that seems to have some sort of connection with Wordsworth and Coleridge where a mass production of opium is farmed there. There was some level of envy with the family dynamics Steve and Rob have. While Rob's family is close knit. When Rob comes home from this journey, he will be greeted by his wife and kids. Meanwhile Steve has very little when it comes to family, except a son who lives far away from him and can only come home to a desolate, generic apartment.
It's hard to wonder if the actors are acting as these roles or if they actually feel they way they do here. It feels very inprovised to give it that natural feel that they bring to the table. And though it has documentary intentions upon it, it really is not one. The movie was based on the mini-series "The Trip" with the exception that the food being served gets more attention than it does in the movie. It boggles the quesion as to would we be able to see Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon act in another feature in a standard comedy film, playing roles outside their typical roles?
Steve Coogan was the chosen one by the Observer Newspaper to travel to the English countryside to give his humble opinion about the food served in the fanciest restaurants. His only credentials for this job was being born in Manchester, England and consumes a lot of food. His original intention was to bring his American girlfriend along for the trip, but then she backs down and Rob Brydon takes her spot and open-handedly offers him 45% of the fee. Brydon says bye to his wife and children and goes off on the journey under grey dismal skies.
Under the direction of Michael Winterbottom, "The Trip" does have a by-the-numbers structure it follows. Steve and Rob have a chat in his car, they strike a conversation over breakfast, lunch and dinner. Coogan has an affair behind his girlfriend's back, Coogan is standing besides picturesque landscapes, food is served and ready to be eaten, and we get shots of the car going down highways and freeways.
The movie might not be interesting to others, but to me it's original for a plot device that has been done to death many times before mainly because I like it when performers impersonate famous Hollywood celebrities and poke fun at their elitist demeanour they are most famous for. The nice thing about it though is that they seem very competitive about it which adds to the fun and the laughs. Their impressions ranged from celebrities like Michael Caine, Ian McKellen, Sean Connery, Al Pacino and Woody Allen amongst many others. Brydon's impressive versatility of Caine's voice ranges from his much younger days in the 1965 "The Ipcress Files", to his later years where cigars and wishkey took a toll on his voice giving it that more rough and husky sound.
It's not just played for subtle laughs though as their is some dramatic tones subliminally played in the narrative and there might be some rivalry between the two main characters. It appears that Steve's relationship with his girlfriend isn't all that rosy but that's not the only thing he's lamenting at. As a performer he has been greatly overshadowed by the much bigger high-prolific while he's been dragged down as a B-actor when he believes he deserves more. He also feels more deserved of that spotlight more than Brydon and doesn't be stuck as a one-dimensional comic actor.
Though the emphisis on this movie is the food they eat, it's really actually more secondary to the plot. At least director Winterbottom arbitrarily takes us into these kitchens as we watch the cooks to see how the food is perfected. The main cuisine of choice is mostly scallops which will likely make my mouth water. While a breakfast that consists of black pudding looks like something that I'll never eat in my lifetime.
The locality of their journey explores the beautiful landscapes of Lake District that seems to have some sort of connection with Wordsworth and Coleridge where a mass production of opium is farmed there. There was some level of envy with the family dynamics Steve and Rob have. While Rob's family is close knit. When Rob comes home from this journey, he will be greeted by his wife and kids. Meanwhile Steve has very little when it comes to family, except a son who lives far away from him and can only come home to a desolate, generic apartment.
It's hard to wonder if the actors are acting as these roles or if they actually feel they way they do here. It feels very inprovised to give it that natural feel that they bring to the table. And though it has documentary intentions upon it, it really is not one. The movie was based on the mini-series "The Trip" with the exception that the food being served gets more attention than it does in the movie. It boggles the quesion as to would we be able to see Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon act in another feature in a standard comedy film, playing roles outside their typical roles?