There are some movies that are so good at showcasing an individual performer that I become an irrationally loyal fan of that person.   School of Rock with Jack Black would be a great example of that.  Another example would be Hamlet 2 and its star Steve Coogan.  A British comedy actor, he is a little better known as the director in Tropic Thunder and a corrupt business man in The Other Guys.   But Hamlet 2 was one of the funniest movies I have ever seen and his performance was off the charts great.  So I was happy to hear good things about his newest starring vehicle The Trip.

The film centers around two actors playing themselves (Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon) going on a food tour of England because Steve is writing some article for some publication.  The food tour is really just a chance to explore the two different personalities of these two actors on a road trip.  They are constantly battling each other for who is the better actor, singer, and impersonator of Michael Caine and James Bond.  The movie felt like Sideways to me, but a lot more funny and a lot less pretentious.

The movie should appeal greatly to anyone who has ever been on a road trip with comedians, but I believe it will appeal well beyond that.  It also explores the different dynamic between a performer who is happy with his life and career and one who seems destined to undermine his potential through perpetual dissatisfaction.  Coogan and Brydon are both great as the unhappy and happy, respectively.

The movie is funny and seems to build in humor the more intimately you know the characters.  By the end of it you feel like you have been on a trip with two funny and fun guys, with all the enjoyment and annoyance that brings.

Grade: A-