The Trip: Two Traveling Comedian Food Critics

The Trip is a movie that made me laugh out loud several times. Which is surprising because it doesn't sound like it should be that funny. Watching two men eating at various restaurants and driving around the north of England could get dull quickly, but this movie never does. From start to finish, it will keep you entertained and leave you wanting more. Which is fine because I discovered that it was originally a six-part BBC series that was edited down to make this movie. So I will be spending the next few days watching the series and chuckling all over again.

The two comedians, playing somewhat fictionalized versions of themselves, are Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, who are well-known personalities in the UK but not so much in the US (except to dedicated Anglophiles). The premise is that Coogan has to write a column for The Observer's monthly food magazine - he plans a trip to review restaurants in the north of England with his American girlfriend, Mischa, but when she gets called to the States on business and proposes a "break" in their relationship, he is left in the lurch. He finally calls Brydon, who hesitatingly agrees to accompany him on the trip.

The pair have a very uneasy relationship. Occasional colleagues and comedic rivals, there's a strong streak of competitiveness between them. Brydon has been enjoying a lot more recent success while Coogan is constantly on the phone with his American agent, trying to get roles in "mainstream" movies and worrying that he might have become too old to get another big break. Brydon is also an established family man with a wife and baby at home, while Coogan is a divorcé with a now disinterested girlfriend. He is constantly trying to one-up Brydon, who is far too satisfied with his life to pay much attention to Coogan's insecurities.

However, whenever these two men sit down to eat a delicious meal, the movie crackles with humor. Every conversation consists of a series of astonishing celebrity impressions - Woody Allen, Sean Connery, Anthony Hopkins, and most famously, Michael Caine, are all dissected through impressions that get progressively weirder. Brydon is clearly the more skilled impressionist, but it is hilarious to see Coogan square off with him and debate just how nasal Michael Caine's voice is, or what the right inflection is when delivering a Bond villain's menacing speech. At these moments, Brydon and Coogan are just trying to crack each other up, and you can see their true enjoyment when a perfect joke is crafted or an impressively spot-on impression is performed.

The movie is also gorgeous, featuring mouthwatering meals, spectacular scenery, and literary excursions as the pair visit the homes of Coleridge and Wordsworth. It is a thoroughly satisfying experience for all of your senses, especially your sense of humor. The Trip demonstrates that a great comedy can be created just from a series of conversations between two hilarious people, and sometimes the simplest premise is the best. There are already plans to create a second series of The Trip with the pair going on a tour of Italy. Sign me up.