The Trip to Italy
Michael Winterbottom’s largely improvised film THE TRIP (2010) took comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon on a restaurant tour around northern England. In this witty follow-up, Winterbottom reunites the pair for a new culinary road trip, indulging in some sparkling banter and impersonation-offs.
Tantalizing our palates from the earlier film, the characters enjoy mouth-watering meals in gorgeous settings from Liguria to Capri while discussing subjects as varied as Batman’s vocal register, the artistic merits of JAGGED LITTLE PILL and, of course, the virtue of sequels.
Winterbottom trains his camera to capture the idyllic Italian landscape and the gastronomic treasures being prepared while keeping the film centred on the crackling chemistry between the two leads. THE TRIP TO ITALY effortlessly melds the brilliant comic interplay between Coogan and Brydon into quieter moments of self-reflection, letting audiences into their insightful ruminations on the nuances of friendship and the juggling of family and career. (source: filmguide.sundance.org)