The Trip (2010)
(Michael Winterbottom, UK 2011, 112 min., DCP)
During production of Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story (2005), director Michael Winterbottom became enamored with the improvised divergences between actors Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. A few years later, Winterbottom approached Coogan and Brydon with an idea for a television series: the two actors, playing versions of themselves, are forced on a work vacation in the North of England for an article Coogan is writing. The two, though the same age, are at different points in their life. Coogan has seen some success on British television and in American films, but he’s looking to deepen his career without being dragged to Hollywood and away from his family. Brydon is riding a wave of increased popularity through his many appearances on panel shows and through his stand-up career. Together for a week, they endure each other’s company through a competition of barbs and wit, uncanny impressions, and knowledge of the world and history. Surprisingly touching despite its rapid-fire humor, the television series was edited into a feature film that spawned three more iterations.