We all have our favourite comedy double acts: Vic and Bob, French and Saunders, Laurel and Hardy, Trump and Pence..The list goes on. But one I return to time and time again is Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon in Michael Winterbottom ‘s The Trip.
It’s perfect autumnal fare: the pair play exaggerated versions of themselves, bicker, eat in fantastic restaurants in lovely European locations, and chat up attractive women..And that’s pretty much it.
Coogan is haughty, a bit pedantic and quick to point out his various awards to anyone who will listen; Brydon is a no-nonsense character who takes great pains to point out when Coogan is being insufferable by making frivolous jokes.
It’s a meditation on middle age and travel, and despite the endless Al Pacino impersonations and silly dad jokes, there’s an undercurrent of melancholy, essentially two men really looking for meaning (while stuffing their faces and drinking delicious wine). They’ve done England, Italy, Spain and Greece- I would like to see a Scottish tour. Imagine the jokes about the Trossachs…
Hit The North 