The Trip

Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon, Claire Keelan

Dir. Michael Winterbottom

Two wonderful comics + a roadtrip through lovely wintery English countryside + some mouth-watering food + my favourite Abba song = the best couple of hours I’ve spent at the cinema in quite some time. This largely improvised movie is insightful, endlessly witty and, at times, laugh-out-loud-to-the-point-of-tears hilarious. Gloriously self-indulgent and often meandering, The Trip may annoy some. My advice would be to simply sit back and enjoy the ride.

Playing loose (how loose, I just don’t know) versions of themselves, The Trip follows Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon through a fancy restaurant tour of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales. Coogan, working for the Observer, has been left high and dry by his American girlfriend (Keelan) and enlists Brydon as company for the trip. Somewhat reluctantly. As you’d expect from two comedic geniuses, there is a lot of trying to out-do eachother (most memorably in relation to who does the better Michael Caine). But there is also soul-searching, poetry-quoting, singing and, of course, a great deal of eating.

The success of this movie is largely thanks to the interaction between Coogan – grumpy, promiscuous, self-important, struggling to shred his Alan Partridge past and find that level of success again – and Brydon – a dedicated husband and father, satisfied with his career and notoriety, concerned for his friend’s obvious unhappiness. They really are chalk and cheese. Brydon’s constant impersonations drive Coogan to distraction, fuelled by a not-so-subtle jealousy at Brydon’s talent. Brydon acts his age and is a devoted family man, in sharp contrast to weed-smoking, playboy Coogan. And while Coogan seems displeased to have Brydon as his travelling companion, we know that Brydon is good for Coogan, questioning his lifestyle and priorities. And by the end, even Coogan admits he’s had a good time. As have we.

The humour here is very British. Some cultural references will be lost on many. If you don’t have a passing acquaintance with the works of Michael Caine, you may be in trouble. In fact, if you don’t know either Coogan or Brydon, you’re in bigger trouble. Here we have wit and intellect, which may not be everyone’s cup of tea. But if this sounds like a bit of you, you’ll be in movie heaven, much like I was. Look out for period movie skit in the car – absolute brilliance. And then we have the food – O.M.G. My mouth was watering. There were ooh, aahs and sighs from the audience at the sight and description of some of the dishes.

This movie was a delight. Enough said.

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Steve: I've, uh, asked other people but they're all too busy, so you know, do you wanna come?