Released in 2010, “The Trip” stars English actors Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. The two comedians play semi-fictionalized versions of themselves on a funded tour through the restaurants of Northern England for the British newspaper “The Observer" (no relation, unfortunately). Directed by English filmmaker Michael Winterbottom, “The Trip” marks the second collaboration between the three men, continuing the stars’ one-off portrayals established in the brilliant 2006 work “A Cock and Bull Story.” The film-within-a-film provided the inception for the self-centered, volatile celebrity versions of both actors, and “The Trip” sees their welcome return, providing them a much more relaxed pace and environment to explore.
“The Trip” originally aired on BBC Two as six thirty-minute episodes of a series in 2010. It was also edited and adapted to a feature-length film for a worldwide release in the same year, with both editions earning widespread critical acclaim. The movie’s success comes in large part due to the two players’ commitments to the exaggerated versions of themselves into which they escape, along with their strong chemistry and their improvisational and impression skills.
In fact, the series and film’s attention and praise helped bring it back for a second series and film, this time taking place across Italy. “The Trip to Italy” debuted earlier in 2014 and made its way to the States in August. It has been celebrated similarly to its predecessors, and it will be on-campus in Browning Theatre the second weekend of fall break.
Should your fall break feel slightly underwhelming, or should you feel the need to escape to Europe for a little over an hour during the next week, watch “The Trip” with us and prepare for our full-length review running Tuesday, Oct. 28.
