The Trip (2010) Reviews

• Intelligent males on screen without Explosions or Gas!

  josephlord-12011-11-19

  You can read the story synopsis elsewhere on these pages. My review is all about how thoroughly enjoyable it was to see two intelligent men on screen. It's something rare in American male testosterone driven films which are aimed at the teeny bopper male group. This film ran a gamut of references fro Coleridge to ABBA and never missed a beat. I really just want to salute the movie as a triumph that says you don't need bombs, explosions or farts to make a film enjoyable. The conversations ran so smoothly. One would have thought them natural as in a cinema verite...........I knew nothing of the stars nor their UK experience and CV.............I just enjoyed listening to them without any prior historical context...........it also made me want to visit northern England to enjoy the food, scenes and outdoors. Worth a watch on a nice quiet peaceful American night. Maybe it will rub off on us.

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• Watch the TV Series Instead

  pontoffelpock2011-06-02

  The Trip, the television program, is a poignant, rambling, beautiful little series, starring comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon as fictionalized versions of themselves. The Trip, the film, which I was able to catch at a packed SIFF screening, is an edited version of the television show. The six episode series clocks in at about 180 minutes, and the film, at 107 minutes, feels truncated and rushed comparatively. Both follow these hilarious gents as they review restaurants in the English countryside, but with those seventy-so minutes edited out, much of the nuance and poignancy is lost—the tone shifts from somber (but funny), to seemingly desperate for laughs. The film does often get those laughs (Coogan and Brydon, in their largely improvised conversations, are very humorous), but it fails to really make much impact beyond providing entertainment. The more melancholy scenes retained from the television series often feel tacked-on, and the transition between jokes and sentiment clunky, with quiet moments and breathing time largely cut out. Audiences looking for droll popcorn fare will not be disappointed, but those wanting to be genuinely moved should skip the flick and instead seek out the superlative television series, using whatever means they can.

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• All I can say is HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

  rooprect2012-07-26

  If you have 2 minutes to waste reading this review, I suggest instead you go to Youtube, search "the trip michael caine" and watch it. If it makes you laugh, expect more of the same in this movie. If it doesn't do anything for you, then don't bother watching the film. Although I can't imagine any human with a pulse not being tickled by that great scene. "The Trip" has no real story. As explained in the first 10 seconds of the film, it's simply about Steve Coogan (played by Steve Coogan) who reluctantly invites his quasi-friend Rob Brydon (played by Rob Brydon) in on an assignment reviewing restaurants in northern UK. What follows is 172 minutes of bizarre, awkward and painful humour which, like in the "Michael Caine" clip, centers around the 2 quirky characters and their polite antagonism of each other. If you haven't already seen the Coogan-Brydon schtick (as in "Tristram Shandy: A Cock & Bull Story") I can only describe it as classic. It's almost a throwback to Laurel & Hardy or Abbot & Costello but with intelligence rather than slapstick. Coogan plays the somewhat superior egotist while Brydon plays the clown (who always gets the better of his counterpart). "The Trip" was originally a 6-part series that aired on BBC in 2010, strung into a feature film released in 2011. The whole show was largely improvised, and in the excellent bonus features on the film DVD we can see the evolution of their routines as well as some other gags that didn't make it to the final version (such as the hilariously surreal "C-NT SONG" and accompanying dance choreography). The pacing of the film is somewhat slow, but that works to its advantage. It makes the whole experience flow realistically, not contrived. The gags are like islands of hilarity in a sea of Coogan's otherwise dreary life. Also note, even though I said there's no story, there actually is if you read between the lines. Ironically, it's a rather heavy story touching on the themes of loneliness, dissatisfaction and Shakespearean "sound and fury signifying nothing". I was extremely impressed that director Michael Winterbottom could make such a funny film within such a bleak premise. Watch it closely and you'll be both entertained and affected. Films I'd compare this to are "Tristram Shandy" (another excellent Coogan-Brydon-Winterbottom collaboration), "Coffee and Cigarettes" (also featuring Coogan in a stylish, artistic comedy by Jim Jarmusch) and some of the Christopher Guest films, such as "A Mighty Wind" and "Best in Show".

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• Laugh-out-loud travelogue wit(h) plenty of food porn

  twilliams762011-09-28

  The Trip is a trip. It is a hilarious talkie-talk film made for an intelligently critical, foodie-obsessed, British humor-junkie like me! I admit/know that many WILL hate watching this film about two British comedians (Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon playing "loose" versions of themselves by reprising their "characters" from the earlier film Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story) driving around the North Country (of England) eating in pubs and fine-dining restaurants while making fun of wine, food and culture snobs with little witticisms, bon mots and uncanny impersonations of some of Britian's top exports. There is also a lot of film and pop culture references to go along with the literary history thrown-about as the pair trek the highlands of some of Britian's late-greats (poets, writers, historians) and explore castles, manors and northern Moors. The "story" is that Coogan has been tasked by The Observer (a British magazine) to travel the northern portions of England and write a food/wine/travel piece about his experience. As Steve's girlfriend backed-out of the trip at the last moment to fly to the states and his other go-to friends have all declined his invite, Steve reluctantly asks his old friend Rob to accompany him. Too bad for Steve; but "hahaha" for us! The film is NOTHING more than these two getting on the other's nerves; making fun of snooty things (themselves included); eating in fine-dining establishments (glorious food prep/food porn here!); and making people laugh. If you aren't a British humor enthusiasts, avoid this one! It isn't slapstick/Benny Hill bawdy comedy here ... it is all understated, subtle humor in the delivery of lines of what these two men observe. I found this to be somewhat of a treat to listen to (these are two highly gifted comedians) ... the beautiful Lake District and countryside of Britain was just an added bonus to it.

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• A Thin Sitcom turned into a Semi Funny Movie.

  michaelhirakida2014-10-02

  The Trip is Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon's vacation sitcom that is basically the two comedians going to different restaurants in the North of Britain. Now, it could be funny if they didn't have such thin material. So why in the world did they decide to cut it down into a 114 minute movie? The problems is it follows a structure that you can point out very easily. Here is what happens in every lets say 25 minutes: 1. They Drive and Talk. 2. They get a room at a hotel. 3. They eat as it inner cuts 4. While they are eating, they make impressions of famous stars. 5. As Dramatic Music plays, they talk on the phone with people. Follow that same structure at least 6 times and you got a very thin movie. Oh and if your lucky: 6. Steve Coogan has a Bad Dream. The impressions are spot on and funny at first, but then it just becomes hideously boring and you wish they would do something other than impressions. The food looks gorgeous and it is interesting to hear what Coogan and Brydon have to say about it as they eat pigeon, duck, lamb, scallops, soup and more rich stuff. The problem I have is that its the same thing over and over again. The structure is very basic and does not take any risks whatsoever. What if something bad happened on the road trip? What if their car broke down? What if they had a fight? Sure they argue, but it doesn't lead to anything serious. Come on! I'm dying to see something different, but all I'm getting is the same stuff over and over again! If you watched the Trailers it looks like it was going to be a hilarious movie full of comedy and food. But it lies to us. It actually is quite depressing because of the music at the end of a restaurant scene. There is rarely any music and it should have been that way throughout. I don't like this sad music. Where is the upbeat and happy music? But I guess it fits because the whole movie is Grey. Look at the poster! Does it look like a boring drama film? No! It looks exactly like a comedy but it doesn't do anything to be different! Maybe if I watched the uncut series, I would have liked it better, but I am reviewing a film. Not a comedy series. If you like food, skip this because the scenes in the restaurants are rushed. If you love comedy. Skip it because it takes no risks. If you really want fun. Don't watch it at all. It really is depressing and the ending is not funny. This movie fails at comedy. Now could you believe there is a sequel!?... I'll get to that sometime. 54/100 C

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