If you are a wanna-be tourist that wants to experience Italy but cannot afford it, The Trip to Italy is just for you. Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon are back making impressions and sniping at each other while eating amazing meals and travelling through some of the prettiest places on Earth. As a travelogue and a charming little comedy, The Trip to Italy will satisfy on both fronts.
After a successful series of articles on their first trip through the UK, Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon have been asked to critique food, this time in Italy. Over beautiful views of Liguria, Tuscany, Rome, Amalfi and Capri, Brydon and Coogan wine, dine, and whine some more. Joining them are Coogan’s son Joe (Timothy Leach) ship captain Lucy (Rosie Fellner), along with Michael Caine, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Roger Moore, and Alanis Morrisette impressions that Brydon and Coogan doll out to each other.
Even more than north England in the first Trip, Italy gets the royal treatment in The Trip to Italy. While the Brits cut into each other and their lives, we are privy to the stunning locations they choose to visit. Much has been written about the Amalfi Coast or Capri, but The Trip to Italy lets the audience take it in on the big screen. There’s something amazing around each corner: majestic coastal drives, pristine, clear Mediterranean water, charming hidden coastal cities, preserved history: the list goes on and on. At times I would grow tired of the British talk and look up from the actors to some jarringly beautiful image Italy has to offer, and just smile with delight. If you’re on the fence about visiting Europe’s boot, The Trip to Italy will destroy the fence for you.
As far as the story goes, The Trip to Italy continues in its melancholic misadventures of two aging actors. Brydon and Coogan inflate pieces of their personas for effect: I seriously doubt either of them is as sad as their characters suggest, but the choice nicely balances the light banter with reflective contemplation. The impressions continue to be the highlight: Michael Caine reappears funnier than ever; De Niro and Pacino are targeted heavily, and there’s even a great jab about how similar Christian Bale, Tom Hardy and deafness have a lot in common. The Trip to Italy evolves the Brydon/Coogan friendship nicely; they are both older men, with Brydon’s career on the up and Coogan’s stalling, flipping the power from the first film. Their melancholy slowly evolves, as Italy’s beauty makes them appreciate more simple things: Coogan can spend more time with his son, and Brydon can compartmentalize his life as he sees fit.
Much like their dishes, The Trip to Italy is comfort food. Sometime all you need is a vacation with a stellar view, a good friend, and some solid eats. Oh, and Michael Caine in all of his forms.