Imagine a road trip you took with your family as a teenager.
At first the idea seems awful and repulsive, however, after a few hours, jokes are made, hilarious stories are told, and perhaps even indescribable moments of joy occur. But then after the journey, you must return home to all the pressures of everyday life.
“The Trip,” under the direction of Michael Winterbottom, is almost exactly what I have described, except instead of a family, the car is filled with two comedians.
The movie follows Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, both playing themselves, on a road trip across England as Coogan reviews restaurants for The Observer.
Sitting a some of the finest restaurants in the country, the two friends, following very different lives, rekindle their friendship with lame and silly jokes, impressions, and tales of their younger days.
Though certain scenes inflict raw emotion from the characters, most of the film is overflowing with comedic genius. The dry and intelligent sense of humor both Coogan and Brydon share is impeccable.
It is the type of movie that should be watched alone with a glass of wine to appreciate. The dryness of the actors humor is reason enough not to make this movie a Saturday hangout featured film.
However, if you take the time to listen and pay attention to the witty banter between the two comedians, genuine laughter will overcome you.
The film is shot in a documentary style that adds another level of authenticity to the script as though the actors were simply having a conversation on camera.
The jokes told by Coogan and Brydon are told for themselves, as if no one else was watching; much like the content of the dreaded family road trip. This adds a more personal and ultimately powerful effect to this stunning comedy.
IMDb rating: 7.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%