THE TRIP (BBC) (2010)
MICHAEL WINTERBOTTOM
Plot
Lucy Fife Donaldson says: "Directed by Michael Winterbottom, this series is based around Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon embarking on a short tour of restaurants in the North of England, commissioned by The Observer. Each episode features ameal with the two men where the competitive quality of their somewhat uneasy relationship manifests itself through a one-up-manship routine of comic improvisations and impressions of Michael Caine, Anthony Hopkins, Sean Connery and others. Blending real-life and fiction in much the same way as Winterbottom’s film A Cock and Bull Story does (the series is really a continuation of those characters), The Trip is a fantastic showcase for Coogan and Brydon’s skills as naturalistic comic performers, not to mention their willingness to present themselves in an unflattering manner. Often uncomfortable, but consistently funny."