This movie, not to be confused with the Tv series it's based on or the gay romance flick with which it shares only a name, follows two actors (Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon) who are essentially playing themselves. Steve has decided to go on a restaurant tour of Northern England (for the Observer) in order to try and impress his substantially younger foodie girlfriend. She, however, is not able to come because of work responsibilities. Steve, unable to find anyone else to go with him, invites his colleague Rob. The rest of the movie follows the two of them trying out restaurants, having weird conversations in the car, and mocking each other's impressions technique. At the same time Steve has to cope with his becoming older and his perceived lack of success in comparison to his better known companion and his own expectations.
The first thing I can really say in this film's favor is that it feels a good deal like a road trip one might take, complete with all the introspection and random conversations one tends to have on such things. more than anything else, though, it just captures the feel of getting away from your life for a while, but as a result, having to think about a little differently. Both Rob and Steve react to their trip in ways dictated by the way they live their lives back home and how they think about themselves, but any home drama is for the most part, left at home, only poking in on occasion to remind us that these guys have lives.
You don't have to know much about impressions or even have ever heard the people being impersonated in order to appreciate the exchanges, because the competition between the two actors really has more to do with their sense of where they each stand as people and as professionals. (One particular scene has Steve practicing one of Rob's acts in front of a mirror, finding himself unable to do it). The car conversations are very funny, because they are extremely reminiscent of those running gags you have with friends that you just don't let dies, because you keep finding new things in it. It works extremely well.
The scenery is utterly stunning.
The music in this is not part of the film
The tone of this movie might, for some people, be a double-edged sword. It's a tad sleepy. You aren't sure how much is left of the trip until it's over (Unless you've actually been counting. They do give you day of the week title cards). However, this feature also seems to me very similar to vacations. You never remember how long you've been away until you actually sit down, tally it out, and think "Holy cats, where did the time go?"
I like this movie rather a bit, and I recommend it to anyone who likes brits and doesn't mind being patient. It's still in theaters.
No comments:
Post a Comment