The Trip

2010 comedy

Rating: 14/20

Plot: Steve Coogan travels around with friend and nemesis Rob Brydon to write about dining experiences in England's finest restaurants.

Is there an actor willing to make himself look like such a terrible human being as much as Steve Coogan? How he manages to play either himself or unlikable characters and be more likable than Hugh Grant is amazing to me. I don't know Rob Brydon, but they have a rapport in this that works. This is virtually plotless unless you consider "two guys go to a bunch of restaurants and attempt to out-impression each other" a plot, but it works as a sillier My Dinner with Andre, one with a lot more meandering and many more dinners.

Eventually, the conflict ferments, and you realize the movie is sneakily about something. There's a melancholy sprinkled in with the humor, and that ends up working, too.

There's nothing revolutionary going on here, and I'm not sure I would have liked this movie if it was any longer than it ended up being. Still, I'd recommend it because of some good characterization, fun improvised performances, and the softcore food pornography.