Steve Coogan is a household name in the U.K., but that probably means jack nothing to you. And, if I might be so bold as to SPOIL!!! the ultimate destination in Michael Winterbottom's new film The Trip, it's that Coogan, after a great deal of agonizing, discovers that fact — that there is a very good chance that you don't know who he is — means jack nothing to him.
That's not to say that Coogan doesn't care about success. He does, and this is one of the major through-lines of The Trip. But over the course of this journey through the North of England with his mate, fellow comedian Rob Brydon — there's an even greater chance you haven't heard of him — Coogan reconsiders friendship, fatherhood and the value of his own Britishness.
I have taken it upon myself to "spoil" The Trip (sorry!) because I think I owe it to you, the reader, to understand that this film is much more than the goofy comedy it is being sold as. Nevertheless, The Trip (which is a feature-film condensation of a six-part, three-hour BBC miniseries, currently available through "improper channels") is indeed uproariously funny. The premise is that Coogan has been tapped by U.K. alt-paper The Observer to travel The North (Coogan's from Manchester) and dine at some of the finest restaurants throughout the countryside, filing informal culinary reviews along the way.
Part of the humor, of course, is the assumption that any given celebrity will have something meaningful to say about any subject, however far it strays from their bailiwick. (See: Bono on Human Rights.) When Coogan's twentysomething girlfriend Mischa (Margo Stilley) bails on the trip at the last minute, and (by Coogan's own admission) none of his other friends are available, he phones up Brydon, his old frenemy and co-star from 2005's Tristram Shandy (also a Winterbottom joint).
Although it's very likely that American audiences do know Coogan — he's had significant roles in Night at the Museum, The Other Guys and Tropic Thunder, as well as the reasonably well-seen 24 Hour Party People, Winterbottom's film about the Manchester music scene of the '80s and '90s — the role that defines his career is that of Alan Partridge, the clueless, infinitely self-regarding chat-show tool Coogan portrayed on the BBC. Partridge's smarm, in many respects, has been both Coogan's albatross and his meal ticket; he's continually struggled under the common presumption that he actually is the prick he became famous for portraying. (See also: Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Larry David.) The Trip is in many senses an examination of that image, an exploitation of it, and a calculated assessment about the price an Englishman of a certain age will or will not pay to "crack the States."
Brydon, meanwhile, is Coogan's ideal foil. A decidedly less "successful" comic, he is also somewhat less ambitious, but (at least as his character comes off in the film) far more content. He irritates Coogan with his endless impressions, broader comedic style, and generally chipper demeanor. "Coogan" (the character in The Trip, that is) would like to dismiss "Brydon" as a lesser comic, but he grudgingly respects his chops and his achievements. (At the time of the filming, Brydon has struck comedy gold in Britain with a bit called "small angry man in a box." Coogan can barely contain his jealousy. Brydon informs him that a related iPhone app is on the way.)
In the course of their journey, Brydon and Coogan engage in the randomness of haute cuisine (including a dish with the consistency of snot) and entertain each other with dueling Michael Caine impressions (an instant classic), as Coogan fields hopeless calls from his agent, suffers several anxiety dreams and engages with the ladies. Meanwhile, the two men sing Kate Bush as they motor through the heart of Britain. The Trip is a blend of bittersweet reflection and seemingly effortless hilarity, the sort that can only be generated by two performers completely attuned to one another's comedic micro-rhythms. The U.K. has long been the land of the buddy act (Morecambe & Wise, Smith & Jones, Reeves & Mortimer, Rik & Ade, French & Saunders), and it's a good time to take the trip again.
Email arts@nashvillescene.com.
