Genres

Visitors Review

mcj600 2012-05-25 15:56:52

Really bad & very disappointing

This was truly an awful movie.The two leads were sad, obnoxious characters who drive around the northof England for an all expenses paid trip, reviewing meals. They do alot of impersonations, which was OK to start with but by the fifth orsixth time it was past wearing thin.One of the characters while more annoying, at least seemed decentenough. The other I just couldn't abide.I didn't understand the point of it all.Even the landscape, which should have been beautiful, seemed dingy andwashed out.Somewhat disconcertingly, you hoped there might be some crisis thatmight put an end to this miserable trip, just so the movie would end.

2012-05-25 04:47:09

Outstanding

Brilliant British humor mixed with real life makes for a great viewing pleasure. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good many laughs with a bit of heart around the edge.

2012-05-15 19:48:24

Good movie

Great movie, to just chill, not think too much and enjoy and giggle. I watched it on Sat evening that I didn't feel like doing much and just wanted to chill at home

stensson 2012-05-15 11:14:50

Middleaged journey

It has become somewhat of a genre in itself, these films about men intheir 40s/50s who have dinner together and summon their lives. Oftenit's sarcastic and bitter in a funny way. This is no exception.Two actors tour fancy restaurants in Northern England. There's supposedto be reviews, but most of the time they imitate famous actors in themeanest of ways. And criticize each other's imitations.They are slightly ridiculous and seem to love it. This is a rather warmmovie about middle age crisis, but not a very profound one. But a bigplus for the beautiful nature sceneries, which you care much more aboutthan the laughable food these men eat.

barnabybeech 2012-05-11 02:34:55

Hard to believe they're acting

The first thing I noticed about this pair up was that the two were madefor each other. Their dialogues are so easy, so effortless follow therewas no awareness of the intrusion of false, unnecessary dialogue. Thisis for the movie version. I had a hard time buying the notion that thiswas a piece of fiction when it most likely was, but that's how smooththe personal and theatrical mixed in. The other lovely part is how thetheatrical structure for the piece, the necessary obstructions,personal dilemmas, blended in so seamlessly. These people weren'tacting. Oh yes they were! The story, low key as it is, is set againstthe bleak north country with snow on the ground and complemented by theconsiderable sophistication of the restaurants. It takes a genuinestudent of human character to illuminate human behavior in a way thiscomprehending of the slight struggles for control, as well as thepeculiar side effects of self indulgence. It looks simple and easy. Tomake it this recognizable and entertaining is not. Or maybe it is ifyou're in their profession in a non Hollywood sort of way.

pwpw63 2012-05-10 12:50:43

Pretty awful

I suspect the one reviewer who gave this such a good review might berelated to someone who was in or who put the film together. My husbandand I TRIED to watch it...but the humor fell flat, was insipid/lame,just plain dumb. I'm a bit more patient but my husband was ready toturn it off much sooner and neither of us could stand it very long. Thepoint where they were told they'd get a room with separate beds, wewere both done with it. The odd couple getting on each others'nerves...well, they got on our nerves...don't think that's what thewriters wanted exactly... certainly doesn't come close to other buddyfilms that did grate one another but were actually funny. I cannotbelieve this thing got a 7 rating. It sure didn't deserve more than a 1or 2, though, to be fair, we couldn't watch much, so that's just basedon a small portion. Could the rest of it have possibly risen like thePhoenix out of the ashes? Hard to believe.

2012-05-04 18:21:00

Skip The Trip

I love Steve Coogan. I just bought Saxondale - Complete Seasons 1 & 2 as it is one of the funniest, side splitting works of genius comedy since Faulty Towers. I also liked his work in Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge - The Complete Series and 24 Hour Party People. I love wacky British comedies, but The Trip just fell flat for me.Amazon's description compares it to Curb Your Enthusiasm. Its entirely missing that show's clever charm. Coogan has a real talent for understanding what makes a jerk so funny, but he's not funny in this, he's just a jerk. By the end of this film Brydon perfects the art of being irritating. I read the negative reviews here and gave this film a chance on the strength of Coogan's past work, but I was disappointed. The film is overly long. While there are great panning shots of the English landscape, this was filmed it looks like at the end of winter. The landscapes are bleached and dreary, like the movie. Check it out if you're a Coogan fan, but don't be afraid to hit the stop button and give up, cause it doesn't improve.

Flemming Rasmussen 2012-05-04 06:43:33

Boring, as to see paint drying

Two middle aged men babbling away for around 2 hours.I have never been so bored in my life.The scenes are drawn out to the edge of utter boredom.I feel, I know all the English countryside first hand, because half themovie was a car moving through the landscape.This film is not just a waste of time, it is so boring so you feel youHAVE to find out if there is any redemption in the end..No..The movie fades out with a thrill which can be compared to see paintdrying

2012-04-30 00:34:17

A creative, culinary, comedic journey through rural England

This review is from: The Trip - 2-DVD Set [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - United Kingdom ] (DVD) Steve and Rob work their way through a gastronomic expedition while at the same time exploring their own views on comedy, actors and mimicking.Underlying this lovely whimsy are their own two personal stories of their life situations which they discuss as they enjoy the delights of English rural restaurants and cafés in exquisite northern landscapes.To be enjoyed at leisure with nice wines.

2012-04-29 08:14:40

The Year's Smartest And Most Literate Comedy Hails From A British Television Sitcom

One of the more unexpected hits this year on the art house circuit was Michael Winterbottom's "The Trip." Initially designated to a very limited release, the film received great word of mouth largely due to a scene featuring dueling Michael Caine impersonations which became an outright cultural phenomenon. With this sequence becoming a genuine YouTube sensation, the movie eventually rolled out to a much wider distribution in over 100 major markets. It's an interesting success story about this unassuming little film that redefines the road movie AND the art of conversation. Interestingly enough, the movie is simply a condensed version of a six part television series that aired in Britain in 2010 (which incidentally won Steve Coogan a BAFTA for Best Male Performance in a Comedy). If you've had the opportunity to see the original source material, you will obviously be familiar with the content of Winterbottom's film. It utilizes the exact same footage. But in "The Trip," the narrative is tightened up for an enjoyable two hour ride.In truth, there's not a lot of plotting to "The Trip." Comedian Coogan and the fantastic Rob Brydon play fictional counterparts of their real life personas. Coogan has been contracted by a local paper to review a series of the country's finest restaurants. When his girlfriend backs out on the trip, Coogan scrambles for a replacement settling for a friendly acquaintance that he has worked with in the past (Brydon). In a largely improvisational manner, the two companions bicker and provoke one another with a playful respect. Brydon continually lapses into terrific impersonations and challenges Coogan to much verbal sparring. Over the course of numerous meals and much travel time, the movie plays as the daft cousin to "My Dinner With Andre" as the two showbiz professionals ruminate on life, love, food, friendship, and career. That's really about it, but the film is never short of fascinating. Coogan's character has an underlying insecurity and his bluster with Brydon alternates between silliness and scathing wit.If the idea of watching two friends talking sounds excruciating to you, you probably aren't the movie's intended audience. "The Trip," despite its adherence to improvisational dialogue, is easily one of the year's smartest and most literate films. Coogan and Brydon are perfect guides on this journey which also features enough restaurant footage and gourmet dishes to engage even the most discerning foodie. While there are no big dramatic revelations, the film does subtly get under your skin. By the end, you realize that this friendly excursion has caused each to realize what is important in life. In fact, it's a very understated film amidst some big comic grandstanding. Anyway, check this one out if you enjoy bright dialogue and are a fan of Coogan and/or Brydon. It's a winner. KGHarris, 10/11.

gut-6 2012-04-27 02:28:35

The best movie I've seen all day

As usual for a film described as a comedy/drama, "The Trip" is neitherparticularly funny nor particularly dramatic. In fact it fails quiteseverely on both counts. I can't fathom the critical acclaim it hasgarnered, but then again I couldn't understand why "The Hangover" wassuccessful.The "plot" as others have stated is that two comic actors go on a 1week road tour of England's North to review the regional gastronomy fora newspaper. During their walks, drives, sightseeing, and especiallymeals through this bleak landscape, they banter and engage incompetitive impersonations of famous actors. These impersonationsprovide much of the purported comedy. Their midlife crisis concernsabout their relationships and careers (especially Coogan's) and theircompetitiveness provide the purported drama. This repeats each day. Itis as dull and repetitive as it sounds.There are only 2 belly laughs in the whole movie. One, a variant of anold Derek and Clive joke, is where a fan confronts Coogan armed with arather unlikely newspaper headline. The other is where Coogan, havingbored his companion with his relentless monologue on the local geology,is himself out-bored by an even more relentless geology pedant. But twolaughs from minor characters can't carry a 107 minute movie. Theendless celebrity impersonations are only occasionally and mildlyamusing. I was yawning and looking at my watch throughout. I would havefallen asleep had it not been for one girl in the audience, determinedto find this tedium amusing, loudly laughing like a kookaburra at everysemi-joke. The rest of the audience were largely indifferent, buttwittered a bit at the impersonations.

martin-311-679945 2012-04-26 08:45:41

Short on ideas

I watched the movie and was surprised, later, to learn that this was atruncation of a TV series.The movie started pleasantly but after an hour had run out of novelty -which is a shame as it carried on for another 45 minutes. Goodnessknows what they did for the rest of the time in the televisionprogrammes.The most interesting parts of the movie were the impressions of MichaelCaine, and it would have been a much better movie if he had actuallybeen in it.But what we were left with was a low budget, moderately interestingmove which needed more content in the script.

2012-04-19 21:37:13

Excellent television comedy

There were two versions of The Trip--a six-episode television series and a condensed theatrical version. I've not seen the one released at cinemas--I suspect something this subtle and uneventful wouldn't work on the big screen. The TV show is super-subtle, very clever, and very funny. It's not meant to be hilarious, so don't go looking for The Office-type laughs. This had an added dimension of pathos--it plays with Steve Coogan's persona, and it makes him out to be much deeper and sadder than we might imagine him to be. There's no way we can work out just how much of the real Coogan is in this character--and that's the point. It plays with reality and our expectations. Both Coogan and Bryson are excellent, as is the directing by Michael Winterbottom. This series doesn't seem very well-known, but it's worth tracking down.

CoenHead 2012-04-19 08:37:35

Highly recommended for insomniacs

If you are going to make a dialogue piece, here's a clue - make thedialogue interesting. Make the actors interesting. Sadly, this filmdoes none of that. Worse, the actors spend the most time doing anOxford literary circle jerk. What we're left with is two pompousjackasses, firmly (and utterly mistakenly) convinced of their owngenius, and others' inferiority. They are not likable, nor interesting.In fact, they are intolerable.Now I'll discuss some more of the technical aspects of the film. Whilethere are occasionally brilliant set pieces of landscape, nearly all ofthe film containing the actors is either out of focus or poorly lit (orboth). There are innumerable continuity errors, such as shadows orhighlights that appear and disappear randomly, and whoever claimscredit for editing this movie should never be allowed in a studioagain.If you are not an insomniac, avoid this movie. If, on the other hand,you have difficulty sleeping, this film will be manna from heaven.

kkkkoooollll 2012-04-19 11:30:17

Great movie, but somewhat confusing

I give seven stars to this movie. Largely because of the restaurantsthey have visited, I liked exactly seven. Also, I am a huge fan of theBritish humor. It makes you think, why exactly the joke is supposed tobe funny. One of the guys does hilarious impressions of famous people,though I wasn't able to tell which ones. Because of the actors' ratherpeculiar accents, I didn't understand half of their conversations.Luckily, the cultural references in the other half went right over myhead, so, I suppose, I didn't miss all that much. But the film isdefinitely worth seeing. It is very well shot, fantastic camera work,and just the right amount of lighting in nearly all the scenes. Theactors are good too. I would say they worked hard and diligently attheir roles, and it shows. In conclusion, it turned out to be a veryeducational experience, watching a movie made on the other side of theAtlantic ocean.

thomasjwilliams 2012-04-19 05:10:57

Laugh-out-loud travelogue wit(h) plenty of food porn

The Trip is a trip. It is a hilarious talkie-talk film made for anintelligently critical, foodie-obsessed, British humor-junkie like me!I admit/know that many WILL hate watching this film about two Britishcomedians (Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon playing "loose" versions ofthemselves by reprising their "characters" from the earlier filmTristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story) driving around the NorthCountry (of England) eating in pubs and fine-dining restaurants whilemaking fun of wine, food and culture snobs with little witticisms, bonmots and uncanny impersonations of some of Britian's top exports. Thereis also a lot of film and pop culture references to go along with theliterary history thrown-about as the pair trek the highlands of some ofBritian's late-greats (poets, writers, historians) and explore castles,manors and northern Moors.The "story" is that Coogan has been tasked by The Observer (a Britishmagazine) to travel the northern portions of England and write afood/wine/travel piece about his experience. As Steve's girlfriendbacked-out of the trip at the last moment to fly to the states and hisother go-to friends have all declined his invite, Steve reluctantlyasks his old friend Rob to accompany him. Too bad for Steve; but"hahaha" for us! The film is NOTHING more than these two getting on the other's nerves;making fun of snooty things (themselves included); eating infine-dining establishments (glorious food prep/food porn here!); andmaking people laugh. If you aren't a British humor enthusiasts, avoidthis one! It isn't slapstick/Benny Hill bawdy comedy here ... it is allunderstated, subtle humor in the delivery of lines of what these twomen observe.I found this to be somewhat of a treat to listen to (these are twohighly gifted comedians) ... the beautiful Lake District andcountryside of Britain was just an added bonus to it.

2012-04-09 17:37:03

Brilliant

This will not satisfy most Americans who enjoy Happy Madison crudeness and Dreamworks animation fluff. This is thoughtful, genuine, insightful humor that sneaks up on you and in the end touches deeper than the funny bone.

2012-04-09 01:02:51

Funny for the right audience.

I caught this on Netflix the other day.Fans of Steve Coogan of (Saxondale, Alan Partridge) and Rob Brydon(Gavin and Stacey, Would I Lie To You) will undoubtedly enjoy this film. Fans of witty banter will probably enjoy it as well. Others should probably look elsewhere.There is no slapstick or "much" situational humor in this as it's really about the conversations between these 2 fine comedic actors.I was not familiar with Rob Brydon's "small man in a box" or his incredible talent for mimicry until seeing this.Both do a really good Michael Caine at various points in his career. Simply amazing.

upandonw44 2012-04-02 17:43:43

A Good Tip is To Take The Trip... with this one!

Pithy, clever and highly enjoyable, in that snarky British humor kindof way, "The Trip" was a joy to watch at the USA Film Festival inDallas. Especially if you like gourmet food (and have a fetish forscallops) iconic film quotes done within well executed impressions ofMichael Caine and Al Pacino, to name a few. Along with a few moments ofgenuine pathos and self-discovery for the characters (playingthemselves), film industry insiders will especially relate to theinsanity while others may find an unexpected surprise in the beauty ofthe English countryside locations. Collectively this makes for a veryenjoyable trip for us all. Loved it!

2012-04-02 05:17:59

Fan of Brit Humor but this was way too Self-absorbed

This review is from: The Trip (Amazon Instant Video) I like Brit humor. I like intellectual discussion and humor that requires a certain amount of education. This movie could have been funny, but it wasn't. The near total self-absorbtion of the characters with their rather trivial lives, coupled with the random impersonations they did, left me cold. Someone whose opinion I value told me to watch it and they loved it, which is why I gave it two stars instead of one. It could be the kind of film that depends heavily on who you watch it with. I struggled through it.