The Trip

“The Trip” was originally conceived as a British sitcom with real life comedians Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan playing somewhat fictionalized versions of themselves. In this feature length film, the two find themselves on a trip through Northern England as food critics for a British newspaper. The lines are mostly improvised and, except for a few funny moments, the film trudges along at the pace of a dead horse despite the fact that the two are riding in a new Range Rover. There is no question but these are 2 talented actors/comedians but the one or two humorous moments are offset by what basically is a dull, tedious, tiring experience for the viewer. My watch count rating (i.e. the number of times I looked at my watch) was 8 although it might have been more because my continuing whispered utterances hoping that the film would end soon could have affected the count. Believe me, I usually stay to the bitter end, no matter the film, but had my wife tipped the scale just a wee bit in wanting to leave, we would have left much earlier than the picture’s normal ending.
I am surprised at the positive response some very reputable critics have had to the film since, to me, it was a waste of money and time. I give the film 1 and ½ stars because through its beautifully photographed scenes, the audience is able to see the wonderful British countryside and a part of the UK we seldom are shown. However, a trip to the local bookstore for a travel volume with pictures is the only “Trip” I would take regarding this movie