There's uncomfortable humor that works and uncomfortable humor that just, well, makes you uncomfortable.
The Trip, thankfully, is mostly the former and not the latter, taking viewers on a pleasant, if at times conflicted, sojourn through northern England in a Range Rover.
Brit star Steve Coogan and friend/fellow comedic actor Rob Brydon star as "bond-less chums" in the 2010 adaptation of a TV series that aired on BBC Two. The actors play themselves with references to real-life scenarios.
In the semi-improvised, sorta-kinda-biographical film, Coogan (24 Hour Party People, I'm Alan Partridge and the soon-to-be-released Our Idiot Brother) is on assignment for the London newspaper The Observer to visit the chi-chi, out-of-the-way restaurants of pastoral England. It's a premise that's a little shaky at best, but we'll go with it because the misty moors and mountainsides that Coogan and Brydon encounter are nothing short of breathtaking.
Also starring in this film: the artful preparation and presentation of cuisine at the various restaurants the duo visits. Best not to come to this film hungry.
Not a restaurant reviewer by trade (as we all know), Coogan whips up the Observer gig in hopes for a romantic vacation with his model-esque American girlfriend, but the magazine writer has taken a break from the relationship and heads back to the states, leaving Coogan to scurry begrudgingly for a last-minute travel companion. He calls longtime pal Brydon, a TV star known for crowd-pleasing humor that Coogan doesn't discreetly find inferior and mediocre.
While Brydon's always-on shtick and Coogan's smarminess can be cloying, there's a subtle sheen of good-naturedness that keeps the plot from veering in a too-cynical direction. Coogan and Brydon tread a thin line of ambivalence. Keeping them balanced is an organic dialogue, which both works and doesn't work. They seem to run out of conversation topics, but then again in real life, so do we. What's refreshing about it is there's no by-numbers heaping-on of ridiculously impossible situations as seen in Hollywood comedy blockbusters. We really feel like we're on a road trip with Coogan and Brydon.
However, the Daily Mirror wasn't convinced. The publication accused Coogan of "Ricky Gervais malaise." This observation misses the mark on some points. If you come at The Trip with no preconceived notions about modern-day cynical humor, the chemistry between the two comes through with a sincere and understated affection — even if not always heart-on-the-sleeve-earnest. Their Michael Caine impersonation face-off is one of the most hilarious moments of the film.
What works remarkably and surprisingly well are the moments when the two guys are alone, when Brydon tenderly chats with his wife on the phone and Coogan deals with his disappointments. The poignant effectiveness of Coogan's midlife crisis is quite an achievement considering how well-worn this road has been hoed. Coogan cheekily makes fun of his philandering and cocky reputation with hyperbolic nightmares, cheap one-night stands and embarrassingly self-serving comments. The moments of humility that follow come through with an honest punch.
In The Trip, Coogan doesn't transform at the end of his journey, the kind of transformation that gives sentimental movie-watchers a carb high, but we do see a character arc, and Coogan is surprisingly sympathetic with glimmers of redemption.
He and Brydon bicker amusingly, providing no shortage of clever quips and off-the-cuff banter, all executed effortlessly in a semi-scripted format that will appeal to fans of Curb Your Enthusiasm. The pair's conversations and renditions of Kate Bush and ABBA tunes lend an eavesdroppy, documentary-like feel to the direction, an understated approach that's the polar opposite of punchline-driven style of American buddy flicks like Due Date.
Also, if you've always fantasized about driving through the Lake District of England, this film's pretty much the next best thing.
This article appears in Aug 11-17, 2011.