The Trip to Italy

The Trip to Italy is a sequel to the little known, little seen 2010 film The Trip, which in itself is a highlight reel of a little known, little seen BBC miniseries of the same name. Each reiteration of this franchise, I guess you could call it, feels like the rotating lenses of a microscope, filling in more detail while getting ever smaller in scope and appeal. Who exactly is this movie for? I'm not quite sure but whoever is on its wavelength will probably have a ball.

The Trip to Italy revisits Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon as they are once again conscripted by the London Observer to eat at and review multiple restaurants. This time instead of driving through the foggy moors of Northern England, the duo drive their rented Mini Cooper through the sunny coasts of Italy. While doing so they once again trade witty repartee, relight professional rivalries and whip out their best Michael Caine impressions.

Its basically the same setup as the first only the location and power dynamic between our two leads is a bit more interesting. Coogan's star seems to have taken a dip since the cancellation of his American TV series. Meanwhile the less misanthropic Brydon is being courted by director Michael Mann for a billed part in a crime drama. Insecurities and the specter of aging into obsolescence abounds in this sequel, and the Italian countryside and tales of the Romantics serve beautifully as a stark juxtaposition.

Director Michael Winterbottom takes every opportunity to indulge in the sun and scenic poetry of Italy. As the characters retrace the steps of the romantics, Winterbottom takes delight in lifting visual cues from mainstay international cinema such as the bumpy road trips of Il Sorpasso (1962), the luxurious schooners of Purple Noon (1960) and the general feeling of ennui from La Dolce Vita (1960). As the film wears on, the actors become entrenched in a background literally alive with history, unable to make their pithy comments take you out of the beauty (though it's not for lack of trying.

Yet the same things that bogged down The Trip from being the best version of itself are still purposely present in Trip to Italy. There are the same insufferably self-centered characters, the same conversations and improvisational impressions, the same inattention to the freaking food! Seriously, I realize that oafish behavior set against the truly beautiful is partially the point but how do you NOT make Italian food the center of attention? Thankfully the two surly actors have much more to interact with. Actresses Marta Barrio and Rosie Fellner actually show up to dinner instead of being relegated to bits of cellphone asides. Steve's son (as played by Timothy Leach) shows up as well allowing us to see how two middle-aged men in a perpetual existential crises handle being around a child for a few minutes.

Overall Trip to Italy is in my mind a smidgen better than its predecessor and only because it trades temperate gloom for Mediterranean sunniness. But if you're the type who finds the fields, fog and verdant bluffs of England more appealing then the opposite might be true for you. Regardless, your ability to take this trilogy (so far) is wholly dependent on your ability to stomach two actors winging-it while sitting across from one another. I personally found my patience eroding by the minute.

I'm a huge fan of Michael Winterbottom's work which is fully on display in this modest travel journal of two friends discovering the joys of Italy. Steve Coogan & Rob Brydon, the friends in question, I'll admit are an acquired taste; one that I've not yet...acquired. I kept resisting the urge to just mute the sound so I didn't have to listen to their inane, extremely irritating, babblings was only because Strauss and Mahler were used expertly on the soundtrack. And who would want to miss that? The food, the scenery and an undefined longing are all very appealing. But the self-centered mugging by the two, which we're clued to think is adorable by women, I just think needs a warning to any viewer. Try to shut them out. 'Cause they never shut up.

This is a real smart movie.. Taking your rhythm and anxiety to a very peaceful zone, restore your serinity.. I admit, it's a bit boring.. But this is the idea.. Sort of relaxation you should surrender to the stream and give up your regular thoughts about love, sex, excitement, show Biz, etc.. Just let the sun shine on your face. I encourage to make it series movies, but don't be so specific in the dialogue to movie biz, make it more rich to suit other people and different occasions.. Maintain the slow rhythm and ambience.. No music is a good idea.. Nature and scenes are suburb and sufficient glamorous.. Great GREAT!! I FOUND MYSELF PAYING FULL ATTENTION DURING THE PLAY..

This movies falls into those genres that are dialogue heavy. For such movies to be successful the characters and dialogue needs to be very compelling. Based in Italy, the backdrop was beautiful at times but hardly enough to carry such a boring and pretentious movie. It's like the Italian version of 'before midnight' except with no romance or plot line. Just two middle aged British men rambling on, going from restaurant to restaurant and making daft impressions This is like the Italian version of before midnight with no romance or plot line.I am not sure what the director was trying to get at. I think this could be a good movie if you are trying to get to sleep out of sheer boredom on a long haul flight but hardly for entertainment pleasure.

Not very familiar with the actors, I enjoyed some of the conversations although the imitations do start to get annoying halfway the movie. You can see they are great actors but you do feel the script pouring through lots of the time... It has to look like 2 friends getting together having funny conversations but it just doesn't work. Plus I got very annoyed with the maffia/Al Pacino/Marlon Brando imitations, it was just too easy. Overall it felt more like Michael Winterbottom has started his midlife crisis and uses the actors, the script and Italy to get to the (michaelwinter)bottom of it. A pointless one night stand, 2 older English guys "trying" to be funny, beautiful scenery, it just breathed midlife crisis everywhere. I just found it too easy, he could have made something better honestly, maybe put in a weird end with someone dying or something a bit more shocking.. now its just a small river of sometimes funny conversations between two 40something English guys who still want to shag all young, beautiful girls, and who do feel more male when they succeed in this, while they get drunk on gin and tonics... It looks like Michael Winterbottom went to Italy himself, red some Lord Byron and Don Juan, felt himself a bit like Woody Allen and combined this with his upcoming midlife crisis and this was what came out.....The scenery is beautiful though and you will crave for a fab pasta just because of the food shots.