By: debbie lynn elias
I love the comedy and talent of Steve Coogan. A comic gem from across the Pond, he can make anything funny. Then toss in fellow Britisih comedian Rob Brydon and you’re really in for some skilled comedy renderings. And that’s just what we’ve got with THE TRIP. Basically playing versions of themselves, the boys head off on a road trip north in the British Isles to visit six gourmet restaurants for an article that Steve is write for a local newspaper. Expecting to take his girlfriend, Steve is more than disappointed when she backs out at the 11th hour. Not wanting to be alone, he begs his list of friends to accompany him, all whom decline, until he reaches Rob, who says yes. With seemingly nothing in common, it doesn’t take long to see why they are friends – their droll, dry, side-splitting sense of humor.
Charming and exceedingly funny, and surprisingly, very introspective, Coogan and Brydon remind me of two old ladies with their one upsmanship, bickering, and macho alpha dog testosterone antics. From dueling Michael Caine impersonations (which will have you in stitches) to heated debate on the various delicacies placed before them, these two are beyond thoroughly enjoyable.
In between driving and eating, the two partake of nature’s wonders, giving them a chance to really strut their comedic stuff with often biting barbs that just fuel the comedic fire. I will say though, a better time of year for filming would have been preferable so that there would be more visual color instead of brown winter grass everywhere along the travel route.
The nuanced touches of travel and maps and the father-son dynamic between Coogan and “dad”, although brief, is telling and filled with charm. Coogan’s phone calls along the way tell much of his character and show a broken spirit beneath the laughter. I have to say though, I really enjoyed Brydon more than Coogan. There’s more humanity, honesty and realism. The two together are wonderful and very synergistic in their timing, with differences complimenting one another.
Directed by Michael Winterbottom who also gave us the riotous “Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story”, THE TRIP goes beyond the sightseeing and laughter with a nuanced poignancy on success and the price of success. Told through the comedic eyes of Coogan and Brydon, THE TRIP is deliciously illuminating…and funny.
Steve Coogan – Himself
Rob Brydon – Himself
Directed by Michael Winterbottom.
