The Trip (2010)

 4.5/5

ahahahaha!!!!

bahahahaha!!!!

ok. ok...

*SNORT*

pppppppffffffffftttttttttt!!!!!!!!!!

ok ok... i'm sorry. i'm fine. 

*wipe away tears* 

ok.

this movie was hilarious.

English comics Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon play themselves in this film. apparently it was to be a 6-episode mini-series for the BBC and they turned it into this hilarious little gem. the story is fictional, but it's based on the comics' real personas. oh man, i'm laughing just thinking about it.

Coogan has been hired by the UK's Observer to act as a food critic and dine at several restaurants in the north of England. it was supposed to be a romantic trip for two, but when Coogan and his younger hot girlfriend break up suddenly, he asks his buddy and fellow comic Rob Brydon to step in and come along. the audience sees both men in comic and testosterone action (Brydon with his wife back home, and Coogan with a couple of different women at the inns). we see Coogan deal with his insecurities as an actor and Brydon's indifference to the fame. it's jolly good fun.

there are a lot of great moments... if you love English humour and know your actors and directors, you'll love this movie. Coogan and Brydon KILL with their dueling impressions... F-CK. seriously, they're impressions, but most importantly, their critique of each other's impressions is what is so funny. they compete to do Woody, Anthony Hopkins, Hugh Grant, Billy Connolly, Dustin Hoffman (in Rain Man), Al Pacino (in Heat), and a bunch of others.

but my favourite is when they're competing for who can do the best James Bond impressions - when Coogan has a go at being a Bond villain, Brydon almost gave me a heart attack when he dryly quibs, "You look like you're recovering from a stroke and getting mobility again."

OMG.

the Michael Caine impressions and their commentary on how the voice has to change depending on the decade left me gasping for air. there were literally moments when i had tears running down my cheeks i was laughing so hard. their jabs back and forth are amazing. these two are the best Odd Couple ever.

so funny. brilliant, actually.

plus, i'm sorry, but Steve Coogan is f-cking hot. 

Hamlet 2? please. he kills.

and seeing him in this, a slice of WHAT he might be like for real, was really fun. (a total playboy! but insecure. so cute.)

the Brits probably piss themselves watching this. i saw this at the theatre with my shim. (love my shim!) we were both laughing pretty hard. and the theatre was pretty full, but only a few others were laughing as hard as we were... so, the humour might not be for everyone... but you will love it if you enjoy English comedy. it also felt like a lot of the film was improvised, which is always a lot of fun (when done so well). 

omg, i almost forgot! the food. 

good lord.

just looking at the food in this film will make you chuck your Milk Duds at the screen in processed food protest and run to buy scallops at Whole Foods. that's what my shim did right after the movie (minus the Milk Duds chucking). shim scallops!

"She was only 16-years-old..."

BAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

F-------------------------------CK. SO FUNNY!!!!!!!!! 

sorry.

oh god, i'll need to watch this movie again - i think i might have missed a bunch of lines because i was laughing so hard. 

enjoy!

***[added later:] btw, also keep a diaper handy for the scene when the guys are in the country and they're talking about how the scenery is inspirational of epic battle scenes in movies - when they pretend to be the general alerting his troops on what time to leave for battle in the morning? oh dear. yeah.