The Trip (2011)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Daniel P

  
  Winterbottom and Coogan team up again to tell a sort of true, sort of not story about England that will make you laugh and may make you cry, thanks mostly to its honesty and verisimilitude. The premise is that Coogan is between jobs, wanting to make big, brilliant American movies,… More
  Winterbottom and Coogan team up again to tell a sort of true, sort of not story about England that will make you laugh and may make you cry, thanks mostly to its honesty and verisimilitude. The premise is that Coogan is between jobs, wanting to make big, brilliant American movies, but being offered only TV series designed for washed up stars. Newly on a break from his much younger girlfriend, Coogan sets off to write a magazine article about the restaurants in England's northlands, and in a pinch to find a travel companion, calls an old friend, the impressionist Rob Brydon. The men's friendship strains, as does Coogan's personal life and career, as they make their way from place to place, really doing little more than carrying on a conversation that ranges through all emotions. Compelling viewing, and most notable, perhaps, for the moment when Steve Coogan says he wants to work with auteurs; he and Winterbottom are already doing it.

• Sam B

  
  An odd, distinctly British mix of talk-heavy dramadies and full out Curb Your Enthusiasm style semi-autobiographical narrative and gags, The Trip is a truly daring excursion, which thanks to the well-intentioned, yet far under-appreciated Steve Coogan, is one of the most honest films… More
  An odd, distinctly British mix of talk-heavy dramadies and full out Curb Your Enthusiasm style semi-autobiographical narrative and gags, The Trip is a truly daring excursion, which thanks to the well-intentioned, yet far under-appreciated Steve Coogan, is one of the most honest films of 2011. It's not a comedy that anyone will enjoy, but if you love unique spins on the comedy genre and appreciate intellectual ramblings, I would highly recommend you watch The Trip.

• danny d

  
  i know i completely loved this film, but how much is hard to say. its rather uneventful, but thats part of its charm. coogan and brydon play fictionalized versions of themselves, making for a hilarious version of the odd couple scenario as they travel northern england eating food,… More
  i know i completely loved this film, but how much is hard to say. its rather uneventful, but thats part of its charm. coogan and brydon play fictionalized versions of themselves, making for a hilarious version of the odd couple scenario as they travel northern england eating food, drinking wine, and staying in hotels. the multiple film references and actor impersonations are wonderful, and the film is just a delight to sit through. its so odd that i look so forward to re-watching a film where nothing happens.

• Josh M

  
  The Trip is a a funny and surprisingly touching road trip, shot in documentary style with British comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon playing themselves. The film is directed by film provacateur Michael Winterbottom, who has decided to take a gentle and low key approach to a film… More
  The Trip is a a funny and surprisingly touching road trip, shot in documentary style with British comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon playing themselves. The film is directed by film provacateur Michael Winterbottom, who has decided to take a gentle and low key approach to a film that is ultmately about men facing middle age in two radically different ways. The plot is so simple it isn't one at all. The film feels like a documentary and not a wacky one like The Office . Very little big drama happens at all. Coogan brings Brydon for a culinary trip of Northern England that he has been commissioned to write for a magazine. Steve's young American girlfiend bailed from the trip and Rob is a far down this list as Steve's ideal companion. The bulk of the film time is devoted to dinner conversations where the comedians attempt to one up each other with celebrity impressions and funnier lines. For some reason, the film, which has no plot to speak of, maintained my interest throughout and made me laugh and feel emotion. The biggest surprise for me was the visual impact, which I didn't expect at all. The film shows stunning vistas of Northern England in the winter and amazing looking gourmet food, which add texture and beauty that I didn't expect. I don't know how much of the script was improvised (I'd say most) or how close Coogan and Brydon's actual lives are to their film selves, but it completely sold me. I stayed with the whole film (maybe because I'm the same vintage as these guys) and was touched by the friendship and the honesty of the relationship. That said, ti's not for everyone, it's a slow build that pays off in the end. It's one of the best filmed studies I've seen lately of the different ways that people approach growing up, accepting and leaving youth for the dark mystery that is middle age.

• Greg S

  
  As part of a foodie assignment for a newspaper article, two working actors take a week-long trip across the north of England, bickering, bemoaning middle age, and trading Michael Caine impressions. Sort of MY DINNER WITH ANDRE on tour, it's witty but inconsequential.

• Reid V

  
  A really funny, intelligent, and surprisingly poignant buddy comedy. I really didn't know what to expect from this film, but I really had a great time with it.

• Cynthia S

  
  One of the films that I forced myself to watch all the way through, and wish that I hadn't. I guess this was one that you either liked, or you didn't. I thought it was boring, pretentious, and repetitive. Basically a film about two men driving round England doing… More
  One of the films that I forced myself to watch all the way through, and wish that I hadn't. I guess this was one that you either liked, or you didn't. I thought it was boring, pretentious, and repetitive. Basically a film about two men driving round England doing impressions, and talking nonsense. Very sad...

• Spencer S

  
  If you are not familiar with the British television show or anything about the comedy stylings of Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon's teaming, then do not watch this without becoming properly informed. Without seeing the film preceding it or the show I didn't think I could review… More
  If you are not familiar with the British television show or anything about the comedy stylings of Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon's teaming, then do not watch this without becoming properly informed. Without seeing the film preceding it or the show I didn't think I could review this at first. That all changed when I watched the trailer, which shows me a different movie, a more witty, road trip movie between buds, a general give and take, a cute repertoire between two friends on a road trip that holds a lot of potential for comedic material. British humor is so often understated, cheeky and broad. The reason I don't laud it as the end all be all, the sophisticated brand among the ghastly shock value of America, is that sometimes it takes me time just to tell whether they're trying to make me uncomfortable or make me laugh. It's almost like a secret they're hiding from me. Coogan has before made me belly laugh in Hamlet 2, Tropic Thunder, and his brief stint in The Other Guys. These fictionalized versions of the two are uncomfortable to watch, but more so it was merely depressing. The storyline wasn't so much a ragtag voyage for two longtime buddies, but a chance for them to do endless impressions that brink on nauseating. I did love the heartfelt moments, the scope of Coogan's persona's endless isolation and ill will for his personal life and career, mostly putting all his hopes on a girl who obviously doesn't want him. Brydon has a family, a sweet wife and baby, so all his antics resemble that of the village idiot, while Coogan's are that of a narcissist. It's a sweet look of two celebrities without restraint in a comedy of them and their lives, but I'm not sure what the message was, or if I was truly entertained and just moved by the consideration of human tragedies.

• ♥˩ƳИИ &

  
  Cast: Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon, Claire Keelan, Margo Stilley, Rebecca Johnson, Dolya Gavanski, Kerry Shale, Paul Popplewell Director: Michael Winterbottom Summary: Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, the stars of the 2005 comedy Tristram Shandy, reunite with director Michael… More
  Cast: Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon, Claire Keelan, Margo Stilley, Rebecca Johnson, Dolya Gavanski, Kerry Shale, Paul Popplewell Director: Michael Winterbottom Summary: Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, the stars of the 2005 comedy Tristram Shandy, reunite with director Michael Winterbottom for this mockumentary about a pair of actors -- handily named Steve and Rob -- who embark on a foodie road trip across England. Mostly improvised and highlighting the duo's penchant for dueling impressions of famous actors, the film follows them as they test their friendship while sampling the best restaurants in Northern England. My Thoughts: "I'm always down for a road trip flick, so I had to check this film out. It was quite funny. You could easily feel some of the tension between the character's sparing from their competitiveness. The dinner conversations are the shinning moments in the film. Rob seems very fulfilled in his life and career where as Steve is unsatisfied with his and leads a bit of a lonely life. It's a good road trip comedy. Worth taking a look at."

• Jakey L

  
  The comedy will delight you all throughout the film but the beauty of it all is the chemistry between Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, of two man with mid-life crises tackled with sweetness and solemnity that you won't get to call it a dramatic feature but more of an insightful one.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"Eat, drink and try not to kill each other."</i> Steve Coogan has been asked by The Observer to tour the country's finest restaurants, but after his girlfriend backs out on him he must take his best friend and source of eternal aggravation, Rob Brydon.… More
  <i>"Eat, drink and try not to kill each other."</i> Steve Coogan has been asked by The Observer to tour the country's finest restaurants, but after his girlfriend backs out on him he must take his best friend and source of eternal aggravation, Rob Brydon. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> Comic actors Coogan & Brydon go on a hilarious week long trip thru the UK to take in the culinary fares for a periodical whilst ruminating on their lives, careers, and petty competitiveness with high comic flair (i.e. dueling Michael Caine impressions and Coogan's dream of being called a cunt). The story, low key as it is, is set against the bleak north country with snow on the ground and complemented by the considerable sophistication of the restaurants. It takes a genuine student of human character to illuminate human behavior in a way this comprehending of the slight struggles for control, as well as the peculiar side effects of self indulgence. It looks simple and easy. To make it this recognizable and entertaining is not. Or maybe it is if you're in their profession in a non Hollywood sort of way. Both stars get in their licks and provide some unexpected poignancy in their separate moments of loneliness and reflection of just where they are in life while also getting on each other's nerves in grand style. Director Michael Winterbottom perfectly captures comedy lightning in a bottle masked as a travelogue into pomposity; take the trip!

• Kevin C

  
  Colder than the icicles in my cruel, lifeless heart. With no possible emotional or friendly connections to be made with Brydon and Coogan, the movie really just is two men constantly imitating famous actors at a dinner table. And it gets old quick.

• Tracy K

  
  I thought this movie was a lot of fun. If you don't care for impressions, ABBA, quirky British comics and a certain degree of rambling pointlessness, then perhaps this isn't the film for you. But I laughed a lot.

• Mark H

  
  Steve Coogan is hired by Sunday newspaper, The Observer, to review fine restaurants throughout the northern English countryside for a column in their monthly food magazine. When his girlfriend backs out at the last minute, he extends an invitation to everyone before reluctantly… More
  Steve Coogan is hired by Sunday newspaper, The Observer, to review fine restaurants throughout the northern English countryside for a column in their monthly food magazine. When his girlfriend backs out at the last minute, he extends an invitation to everyone before reluctantly inviting former college Rob Brydon as a last resort. You see they already share a mild antagonism toward each other based on their competitive nature, but therein lies the humor. They delight in needling one another. What follows is sort of a less scripted version of My Dinner With Andre with changing environments. It's the camaraderie between Steve and Rob, or lack thereof, that makes the picture so hilarious. Rob is the lighthearted family man contrast to Steve's moody bachelor. He's rather agitated over life. He has this antagonistic friendship with Rob who remains cheerfully good natured. The duo brilliantly play off the other's idiosyncrasies. It's the way the men both quarrel and bond that drives The Trip. Their lively conversations demonstrate palpable charm. Their dueling Michael Caines is probably the biggest highlight, but there are many vignettes that spotlight their dead on impressions of Richard Burton, Anthony Hopkins, Woody Allen, Sean Connery, et al. The discussions they have while dining at various restaurants is the essence of the plot, but it's also a food movie. Actually, the delightfully fanciful samplings of haute cuisine are a secondary showpiece. Many of the fussy concoctions are presented as mini works of art. Additionally the chronicle integrates a few contemplative issues that touch on Steve's difficulties with personal relationships. His girlfriend, in particular, but obviously his association with Rob as well. These moments are never quite as engaging as the back and forth banter amongst the two men, but it does gives the film some dramatic weight. It all builds to a dramatically inert, but still poignant conclusion. There's no ultimate revelation, just the kind of realistic progress that actual people make sometimes while trying to figure out their life. Of course none of this would even matter if we didn't care about these individuals, however. And we do. The Trip is a 107 minute journey well spent.

• Aaron N

  
  Rob: Why me? Steve: Well Mischa can't come and I don't want to go alone. I've asked other people, but there all too busy, so uh...you wanna come? There are a lot of very good past and present actor/director teams and actor/actor teams. While it is easy to acknowledge… More
  Rob: Why me? Steve: Well Mischa can't come and I don't want to go alone. I've asked other people, but there all too busy, so uh...you wanna come? There are a lot of very good past and present actor/director teams and actor/actor teams. While it is easy to acknowledge examples such as Scorsese and De Niro or Johnny Depp and Tim Burton, more obscure ones, such as Viggo Mortensen and David Cronenberg are equally great pairings. The subject of this review, The Trip, is very obscure (at least for American audiences), as it reteams director Michael Winterbottom with actors Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. The three have previously worked together on two very good films, 24 Hour Party People and Tristam Shandy: A Cock & Bull Story. Their latest collaboration, The Trip serves as a humorous, and at times hilarious, look at two actors playing exaggerated versions of themselves as they go on a road trip through North England, acting as the perfect foils for each other. Some of the material is incredibly dry, appropriate for British humor, but The Trip is certainly worth taking. read the whole review at www.thecodeiszeek.com

• Eric B

  
  I'm surprised this film's rating is as high as it is. I suppose "The Trip" will be a godsend for people longing for another "My Dinner with Andre," but I found it self-indulgent and annoying more than funny. If Rob Brydon's "character" is… More
  I'm surprised this film's rating is as high as it is. I suppose "The Trip" will be a godsend for people longing for another "My Dinner with Andre," but I found it self-indulgent and annoying more than funny. If Rob Brydon's "character" is himself rather than a persona, I can't imagine having to spend a day around him -- enduring his constant, compulsive impressions would be utter torture. It's also worth noting that Michael Nyman's somber, ponderous piano score often seems strangely inappropriate for the film's otherwise comic tone. Bickering oneupmanship is the special of the day as insecure, self-involved Steve Coogan and comedian friend Brydon drive through the beautiful English countryside surveying posh restaurants. You know, those places with tiny, geometric portions served in the middle of huge white plates and sniffing waiters who give extended, windy descriptions of every dish served. Conveniently, Coogan and Brydon draw the same choice, window-adjacent table in near every room (the film is almost entirely shot in bright daylight). Brydon's tic-like impersonations include Michael Caine (the best of the batch), Dustin Hoffman, Sean Connery, Richard Burton, Woody Allen, Roger Moore, Billy Connelly and a few others I couldn't identify. Sometimes Coogan has his own alternate take to offer. The best scenes are an argument about how to properly do Caine and some Monty Python-esque banter imagining how Coogan might portray a grand, "Braveheart"-like hero rallying his troops for a dawn raid. Well, OK...not at dawn. Maybe 9:30-ish?

• Jeff T

  
  This sorta sad, sorta funny, sorta documentary, sorta not is a slow burn that takes a while to get hot; but once it does, it's sparks a nice little flame. Michael Winterbottom follows his muse Steve Coogan and Coogan's frienemy Rob Brydon through a tasting tour of the UK… More
  This sorta sad, sorta funny, sorta documentary, sorta not is a slow burn that takes a while to get hot; but once it does, it's sparks a nice little flame. Michael Winterbottom follows his muse Steve Coogan and Coogan's frienemy Rob Brydon through a tasting tour of the UK and watches them bicker and tickle each other from appetizer to dessert in restaurant after restaurant. It's a little like MY DINNER WITH ANDRE but with significantly less talk about the nature of theatre. There are very funny patches in which the boys constantly try to out-do each other with ridiculous impressions of famous folk, and there's a comendable overriding melancholy to the proceedings. The loosey-goosey structure, however, at times makes it feel less like a picture than a blurry mosaic, but there's so much here to love that just seems like bad sportsmanship to point out.

• Ryan M

  
  9.2/10 Sometimes, there is no comedy without a bit of melancholy. A friend once told me that comedy is tragedy; of course implying that if you have the first one, then you must also have the other. Comedians do stand-up and musical performances to entertain us; often times through… More
  9.2/10 Sometimes, there is no comedy without a bit of melancholy. A friend once told me that comedy is tragedy; of course implying that if you have the first one, then you must also have the other. Comedians do stand-up and musical performances to entertain us; often times through letting out their sorrows and past pains through humor. I appreciate this; and when I'm in an observant mood, I feel sympathetic. Now, if only most comedy films could work like the people who are often times behind them. Great comedians get their inspiration from living life; and quite a few of them contribute to screenplays that end up being pleasingly funny. Once in a while, you get something deeper; a film that looks, quite insightfully, into a gender, a social class, or into humanity itself. But...you don't get this kind of film often; although we must embrace them as they come. "The Trip", a feature comedy film adapted - or rather cut - from a UK miniseries of the same name, is very special for its kind. It explores all that is funny as well as what most would call...desolate and empty. Here, we have the story of two comic actors (Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon) who play alternate versions of their real-life selves. Coogan calls up Brydon to go on a trip with him to tour North England's cuisine after everyone he knows will not commit; and the fun begins there. They travel by far and by car. Visiting many famed restaurants in the country, the two actors engage in many comic, hilarious, witty conversations in which they either critique the food and its makers or...speak of something else. I like good food. I like British comedy. And yes, I even like Steve Coogan. You could say that "The Trip" had an appeal from the very beginning, which is why I was so eager to watch it. It's a good feeling when a film that looks good ends up being great; and I am glad to say that such a thing happens here. With the help of a clever script, a respectable sense of humor, and food that looks about as good as it probably tastes; the material is given more depth, more charm, and by the end, it's almost impossible not to love. But of course, maybe you wanted a conventional comedy. You might be disappointed; which would be such a shame, because this really is a pleasantly wonderful surprise, and I think everyone should be able to embrace and enjoy it with open arms. But I said it was as melancholic as it was funny, and hell, I wasn't kidding. Get ready for equal doses of the depressing and the hilarious. It's not quite enough to ruin your appetite for the day (or night) that awaits you once it's run its course, but even though for the most part it's whimsical and effectively funny, the film isn't for everyone. I loved it. I might be one out of a few who does. Plenty of critics and members of its audience liked it, yes, but not many of them will find something...more. Maybe I am imagining things; or maybe "The Trip" really is the complex, richly detailed, and artistically relevant piece of work that it is. When a film can affect you in a way that provokes you to both laugh and cry in equal measures, there's always something to be said; but unlike most comedies of this year that double as competently crafted dramas, here is a film that overachieves. I cared about the characters, which is why I observed their struggles and conversations from a number of different angles, and for what it is, this is a pretty well-told story. Coogan is entering a mid-life crisis; and he's alone on that. Brydon seems fine. He is married, he has children, and when he returns home from the titular trip, things will be as they were yet again. But the question remains: will poor Coogan ever be happy? I am not sure why exactly I felt this way; but by the end of the movie, I was almost in tears. The drama had reached this movie-goer; and I think it's one of the best films of the year if only for that factor alone. But of course...the comedy; if one must think happier thoughts amongst all the silent sadness. Coogan and Brydon exchange richly-written dialogue that often involves either celebrity impersonations (the trailer mockingly credits many famous names of actors, and then it shows the impersonation that belongs to each one), the talk of food, the talk of women, or life itself. There's some philosophy to this film, buried underneath its comedic exterior, you just have to look closer and harder. Coogan also dreams a few good times in the film. Once, there is a surreal sequence in which Coogan is speaking directly to the actor Ben Stiller; who gleefully names various filmmakers - both in duos and not - whom Steve might get to work with. This scene exists in a world where Coogan meets the success that he hopes for in reality; but it's still a part of the movie that exists to be both funny and relevant. Another dream involves Coogan's unseen back-stabbing father; who "lovingly" writes about his son and headlines the newspapers with his central point. Don't go hungry and don't go close-minded; because the food looks delicious, and "The Trip" is not your average comedy. I admit that those Brits are some crafty bastards; they make some of my favorite comedy films ("Shaun of the Dead", "Hot Fuzz", and "Death at a Funeral", to name a few). And this is one to take note of; to remember, and I shall not be forgetting it any time soon. It compels me to see "Tristam Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story"; the film that it acts as sort of a semi-sequel to, in some respects. I hear it's a great film, and if I found this film to be out-of-this-world sensational, emotional resonant, and completely true to life; then perhaps I'll find that one at the same level of sheer quality. I don't know about you; but I'd say there's a pretty good chance that it will be.

• Christopher H

  
  More frustrating than entertaining, The Trip is a film following two men with very few redeeming qualities. Rob Brydon's unique sense of humor is off-putting, with his constant dry humor and repetitious impersonations, but far worse is the way that Steve Coogan treats him, with… More
  More frustrating than entertaining, The Trip is a film following two men with very few redeeming qualities. Rob Brydon's unique sense of humor is off-putting, with his constant dry humor and repetitious impersonations, but far worse is the way that Steve Coogan treats him, with constant condescension and bitter jabs. This films is neither a buddy comedy, nor a love-hate relationship, but instead, two men, both unsure of themselves, on a food tasting adventure.

• Philip P

  
  A fun little romp through the english countryside with two enjoyable comedic actors. You wouldn't believe watching two men traveling from fancy restaurant to fancy restaurant discussing topics of life and doing impressions would be much of anything if not a little entertaining.… More
  A fun little romp through the english countryside with two enjoyable comedic actors. You wouldn't believe watching two men traveling from fancy restaurant to fancy restaurant discussing topics of life and doing impressions would be much of anything if not a little entertaining. Turns out to be a really enjoyable watch as Coogan plays up what he percieves as his new persona and brings his slightly resented old friend along for the ride. It boils down to a story that evokes what is really important in life. That while Coogan may be the more famous and is allowed to still chase after women and sleep around while having a lax relationship with his family, Rob takes joy with his wife and newborn baby. We have learned the lesson before, but not in recent memory has it been this eye-opening or funny.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings