2. The Trip (The Trip to Italy and The Trip to Spain!)
This one, or should we say these ones, are unconventional ones. They were first released in the UK as TV series but were cut into full- length feature film for international audiences. Hence, they rightfully deserve a seat at this table! The Trip is a project by prolific English filmmaker Michael Winterbottom starring perfectly genuine comedic duo Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon playing fictionalized versions of themselves.
It started as a continuation of their performances in the 2005 A C**k and Bull Story, another Winterbottom feature, where Coogan and Brydon’s improvised interactions were pure comedy gold. Of course, they exaggerated aspects of their lives for the films, but all the behind-the-scene details of their lives as reputable British actors continuously looking to work on great films or also to try to make it big in Hollywood, are very realistic.
In the first installment, The Trip, Steve and Rob go on a restaurant tour in northern England while off, or in between films. They have to deal with the pressure of being celebrities and balancing work/personal life. We mainly see them debating or arguing about nothing and everything while driving or eating, gossiping about “the biz”, making impressions of other actors – and notoriously Michael Caine – but, we also see them genuinely having heart-to-heart conversations about their pasts and futures as aging actors in an industry that is evolving fast and furious. Their discussions are sometimes futile but are highly relatable. Viewers will often be transported in their locations and imagine themselves listening to the men while sitting in the backseat.
