In England, Steve Coogan has been a popular BBC actor for nearly 20 years, his cavalcade of characters such as Paul Calf, Tommy Saxondale and, most famously, Alan Partridge having made him something of a household name for comedy in the UK. In the US, he has a small slice of fans, Anglophiles mostly, which, despite his great efforts, he has never been able to expand upon. This frustration, which is understandable for such a talented comedian, seems to irritate him to no end, and, in fact, has been used as a simmering undercurrent in two films, the oft-hilarious Tristram Shandy and again, here, in The Trip, originally a BBC series which has been distilled down to a two hour film that, while often quite funny, will likely win him no further converts. Which is a shame.
In both Shandy and here, Coogan is seconded most ably by fellow BBC Radio comic Rob Brydon, his affable foil who seems much more comfortable both with his career and in his own skin. Brydon, a gifted mimic, and Coogan present their real-life friendship as one of constant competition. Coogan, befitting his much greater fame in England, portrays the alpha male in the pairing while also never shying from the idea that his ambition for stardom in Hollywood has left him somewhat bereft and his ego genuinely bruised. True to form, Brydon never shies from reminding him that his narcissism is, in the best way, a bit laughable.
The bare bones idea of The Trip is that the ‘real’ Steve Coogan has been hired to do a series of articles documenting various restaurants and scenic vistas of northern England. As his girlfriend, Misha, is unable to accompany him, he calls upon Brydon for the trek. In the course of their adventure, they eat gourmet food indifferently, stay in fancy hotels, and bicker endlessly, if good-naturedly, in trying to out-do the other via comic impressions, the random observation, and, in Coogan’s case, sleeping with women they encounter on the way. All the while, Coogan deals with his own Partridge-related insecurities (will he never escape his own creation’s shadow?), faulty cell phone reception, an offer for a television show in the US, and his increasingly faltering romantic relationship with Misha.
Director Michael Winterbottom, who worked with Coogan on both 24 Hour Party People and Tristram Shandy, again shows his skill at comic cinema verité, filming the adventure episodically as though a genuine documentary. The comedy itself, while often very funny, is not always altogether obvious. While there are occasions when the two comics competitively ‘riff’ on each other via dueling Michael Caine impressions, much of what works are the offhand moments, when Coogan reminds Brydon how tiring his always being ‘on’ can be, or when Brydon sticks the odd knife in his friend’s ribs, trying to deflate Coogan’s inflated sense of self-importance. There are no comic set pieces or lazy attempts at slapstick; the film is entirely about two middle-aged men and how they have accepted, or cannot accept, their lives and careers.
Now, how much of this is ‘true’ is impossible to say, but, particularly for Coogan, we have to believe that he is drawing from his own well of exasperation and well-earned reputation in the UK for his past drug abuse and sexual escapades. He has tried to make it in America, and has failed. He’s gotten some roles thanks to his friendship with Ben Stiller but nothing of any note. His talents are enormous, and he has a devoted fanbase. But that is from television, and, no matter what people try to tell him, clearly it’s just not enough. – [DVD]
Comedy
Unrated
DVD Release Date: 10/11/11