Film: The Trip
Cast includes: Steve Coogan (The Parole Officer), Rob Brydon (Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story)
Director: Michael Winterbottom (A mighty Heart)
Genre: Comedy/Road Trip (2010)
In brief: Steve practically has to beg Rob to join him on an all-expenses-paid restaurant tour of northern England. Steve’s girlfriend, Misha, bailed out at the last minute... and it’s no fun traveling alone. Anyway, it's an assignment for Observer Magazine, and it's not until Steve agrees to share the fee that Rob agrees to come along. You wouldn’t exactly call Steve and Rob friends… they’re more like professional rivals. As soon as they hit the road, we get a taste of what's in store. Steve has the trip all planned... down to the last detail, including the music that's appropriate for each landscape. Rob responds with understated but barbed British irreverence.
When they arrive at their first Inn, Steve gushes about its charm. Rob thinks it'd be a perfect setting for a Miss Marple murder mystery. When Steve finds that they have to share a room, he too starts having thoughts of murder. Rob is a miserable substitute for Misha! But things get even worse when Rob mocks Steve at dinner… using the voice of Michael Caine. This is just too much! Steve does impressions, too… and before we know it, impersonations of famous actors are flying. Steve really hates being upstaged by his irritating travel companion, and he manages to convince himself that he's winning the war of insults... until Rob is recognized by one of his loyal fans. Rob, after all is the one and only "Little Man in a Box." (If that makes no sense, it will when you watch the movie.)
Humility is a bitter pill and Steve isn't good at taking pills... bitter or not. In fact, Steve can be downright self destructive, as we soon figure out. And if Steve wants to make a mess of his life, Rob is happy to cheer him on. The travel partners give us lots of laughs, even though the movie doesn’t have much of a plot. Steve tells us early one, "It's not about the destination, it's about the journey." And it’s so true.
4 popped kernels
Wonderfully clever British humor with just a dash of plot
Popcorn Profile
Primary Audience: Grown-ups
Gender Appeal: Any audience
Distribution: Art house
Mood: Upbeat
Tempo: Cruises comfortably
Visual Style: Nicely varnished realism
Character Development: Engaging
Language: Irreverent & Artful
Social Significance: Pure entertainment
