The Trip to Italy

Watch Movies TV -***DISCLAIMER*** The following review is entirely my opinion. If you comment (which I encourage you to do) be respectful. If you don't agree with my opinion (or other commenters), that's fine. To each their own. These reviews are not meant to be statements of facts or endorsements, I am just sharing my opinions and my perspective when watching the film and is not meant to reflect how these films should be viewed. Finally, the reviews are given on a scale of 0-5. 0, of course, being unwatchable. 1, being terrible. 2, being not great. 3, being okay. 4, being great and 5, being epic! And if you enjoy these reviews feel free to share them and follow the blog or follow me on Twitter (@RevRonster) for links to my reviews and the occasional live-Tweet session of the movie I'm watching!  I ate pizza while watching this, I consider doing that made the film an immersive experience.

The Trip to Italy – 4 out of 5

I’m not one to travel abroad.  I have anxiety issues and just leaving my house to grocery shop, go to the movies, and get some food or even just walking outside to get the mail makes me very uncomfortable.  I can’t even imagine how I’ll break down leaving the country.  Sitting in the comfort of my home watching movies allows me to experience travel without the costs and the unease I feel when in public situations surrounded by people.  When you have two very funny people in that movie and watch them drive around, eat amazing looking food, playfully tease each other and listen to Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill like you do with The Trip to Italy, it easily satisfies any lingering threat of seeing the world that may be manifesting in my head.  I’m a shut-in, people.

Oh man, that's such a lovely view.  Oops, almost had that desire to venture
out of my house.

Rob (Rob Brydon) is hired by a newspaper to do a tour of Italy and to loosely follow the path of the great Italian poets.  He quickly invites his best friend Steve (Steve Coogan) to join him.  What follows are two hilarious dudes eating some amazing looking food, arguing who can do the better impressions of famous celebrities, discussing their careers and seeing where this adventure takes them in their personal lives.

And it has to be mentioned again that they were listening to Jagged Little Pill
every time they were driving...and that is just awesome!
I completely forgot how amazing that album is.

I really enjoyed the series this film was based on (or sequel-ed to, however you wanna put it).  I think Coogan and Brydon have such great chemistry together and they are such talented comedic forces that this escapade was very engaging and enjoyable to watch.  Both men do a tremendous job of improvising all the conversations they are having so it made the whole film feel like you were just a “fly on the wall” watching the two men enjoying each other’s company and playfully antagonizing one another when the conversations started to get mundane.  The product isn’t very high concept and the humor it presents is extremely down-to-earth but that’s why it works so well.  It’s very dry and grounded nature is what made this and the series The Trip so appealing to me.  The story even manages to work in some light drama for an even greater overall effect.  The drama is never too heavy or over-the-top so, like the comedy, its proportions it delivers creates a sense of realism.

I would love to sit at a table with them.  I wouldn't say a word.  I'd just sit
there, eat quietly and watch them talk.

Another aspect of the feature I really enjoyed was director Michael Winterbottom's use of B-roll.  As Coogan and Brydon would dine at intimate little restaurants the film would often cut away to the surrounding views or the kitchen crews working away at making the meals.  This seems like such a no-brainer and simple thing to add to the film but this just enhanced the realism of the movie.  This minor detail made The Trip to Italy feel more like a documentary and only further highlighted the vibe that you were just watching two friends hanging out together on holiday and sharing a meal.

Damn, this movie made me very hungry.

Again, if they make another film, I'd love to just hang
out at their table.  I promise I'll be quiet.

Overall, I found nothing really holding The Trip to Italyback.  I will admit that replay value might be a little on the low side for me because, as funny as the film is, the story isn’t really heavy on smaller memorable moments but, instead, it’s one big experience.  Without a collection of memorable scenes and it rather being just one long experience, it might not be something I find myself in the mood for very often; unlike in the show where I could watch the Michael Caine scene over and over again.  Ultimately, however, what makes this a great movie is the performances of both Coogan and Brydon and the way the comedy and drama is handled.  These two elements are delivered in perfect proportions, balanced excellently and are presented tremendously that the whole film feels like one of those astounding dishes the two men are seen eating throughout the story.  That metaphor might play into my ideas about the replay value.  This movie isn’t a comfort food that is nothing but empty calories but are so good to enjoy all the time (like mindless action films or dumb comedies) but rather it’s an exquisite meal that must be savored and enjoyed on infrequent occasions.  And now this food metaphor has me hungry.