And just because the faithful Alabama Liberal readers (all 5 of them) have been very loyal in something of an off-year, I’ll throw in a bonus 25th hour review…
You either enjoyed the first “The Trip” movie or you didn’t, and that’ll probably be a decent indication of whether you’ll go for this film’s low-key charms or be very annoyed by the nattering leads. [I was somewhere in-between, but remember liking the first film a little bit more.] It’s basically the same set-up as the first “Trip” (except, you guessed it, in Italy) as Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon explore a countryside’s sights and especially their restaurants while having a subtle rivalry over their careers, and occasionally dueling over who can do the best impression of a certain celebrity.
It’s really an excuse to look at gorgeous Italian scenery, delicious-looking meals, and get our travel porn on with the easy chemistry of Coogan/Brydon as our primary tour guides. But the jokes are very hit or miss, and there’s not a scene in this movie that couldn’t be a minute shorter. I know that asking a film about the luxuriousness of the Italian countryside to care about pacing sort-of misses the point, but there’s a thin line between vicarious indulgence and irritating excess, and this film crosses it about half the time.
Especially in the love-him-or-hate-him character of Rob Brydon playing Rob Brydon. His routine got very old to me by the end of this film, and I thought “please don’t let this bozo ruin one more genuine moment by going into another Goddamn impression.”
This may be the ultimate example of a film that looks more fun to make than to actually watch. Grade: C+
Glad to read the “extra”. Great review.