This afternoon I attended a preview of Michael Winterbottom's playful road trip movie, The Trip. British comedians Steve Coogan & Rob Brydon play versions of themselves on a magazine-sponsored junket, sampling gourmet restaurants, posh hotels & gorgeous mountain scenery in the North of England. Every meal seems to include a plate of scallops. The pair's improvised banter, filled with absurd celebrity impressions, makes up most of the scenes. The film is also a rueful comedy about middle age. The two men never acknowledge their warm yet competitive friendship, but it provides the film's heart. I laughed a lot, even if I should have been living with BBC TV & radio for the last 10 years in order to get all the jokes. At least I know enough about England to be delighted by the tomato slices & blood pudding they have for breakfast. The Trip will be shown at the San Francisco International Film Festival on Monday, May 2 & Wednesday, May 4.This is the probably the last preview I'll get to before the festival starts next Thursday. I've really enjoyed these press screenings. No waiting in lines, & when it's time, the movie just starts. No commercials, no trailers.
§ The Trip
director, Michael Winterbottom
England, 2010, 100 min
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