The Trip to Italy (2014)

I started to watch The Trip to Italy hoping to be entertained in a light entertainment sort of way.

As the action progressed I became more and more irritated with the script, the performances, the settings, even the cinematography.

Never before have I had to contain the urge to throw things at a screen. I felt great sorrow for the poor Italian extras and actors having to put up with this "story" of a pair of British luvvies act-or-ing their way around the Italian scenery at the expense of the BBC licence payer.

I was infuriated at the driving slowly and wobbling about in the outside lane of the autostrada without indicating in the proper Italian manner. If I had been a passing motorist I would have given the whole crew il mano cornuto or worse.

As for the "funny" schtick in the restaurants - if I was a waiter I would have spat in their soup or "tripped" and sent their pasta into their laps or even thrown them over the edge of the terrace to their severe injury on the rocks below.

By the end of the movie I felt strangely satisfied with my bilious reaction and went to bed thanking my lucky stars I have never met such unpleasant arrogant people because I would probably get myself into trouble.

Fmovies: Wonderful film that gets better every time I watch it. Touching, poignant and hilarious. Puzzled by spate of poor IMDb reviews but suspect that some Cougan fans might not be familiar with the persona he plays in this film: a self obsessed, angst ridden clinging to Hollywood star called Steve Cougan. Or maybe they just like Jason Statham movies, which this is not. I love the locations, the gentle but ridiculous plot twists around Brydon, the anecdotes of Byron and Shelley, chats on ageing, air of melancholia at the end of each episode and the hilarious attempts to out do each other on vocal imitations of stars of yesteryear. I loved The Trip and I love The Trip to Italy. Don't expect action, just sit back, indulge and enjoy.

I should have known better after seeing the first movie, but when I read this one was about Italian gastronomy, I was lured into seeing it.

Well, this is the result when you have plenty of budget to eat in some fancy restaurants and sleep into luxurious hotels but you have no script.

Coogan and Brydon improvise their way through, pretentious and self centered, desperately trying to be funny but both fail at it miserably and come up at best with some lame predictable impersonations of Marlon Brando and Al Pacino. They must have thought, hey we are in Italy let's do that.

If you are planning to see this movie to be overwhelmed by beautiful Italian landscapes or cuisine, don't bother: see any documentary of Discovery or National Geographic on Italia and you'll be less bored and annoyed.

One can not escape the idea that Coogan and Brydon are especially laughing their pants of with the viewer who pays for their vacation.

The Trip to Italy fmovies. I loved the first series and was over the moon when I heard that these comedy legends were getting together again.

They work so well together and in my opinion bring out the best in each other. The fact that they play a slightly altered version of themselves is so clever and so believable that I'm certain some viewers will be entirely taken in by some of the racier elements of the story. In fact I'm sure both actors will have had some quite serious discussions with their families to set the record straight.

Loved the scenery, the real sense of Italy, the fabulous foods and above all the hilarious back-and-forth between Rob and Steve.

Can't wait for the next series!

Could only be called two idiots abroad. Calculated 'rambles' and cringe-inducing dialogue of nothingness.

Full screen filled with their fairly boring faces while frustratingly, Italy, in all its green and aromatic glory is reduced to playing a background fleeting extra. Beautiful food is given a brisk token summary of a Benidorm-type review, while unbearable fractured Italian and pompous guide-book knowledge makes one wish their inflated boat would sink immediately with their over-inflated egos.

An arrogant treatment of Italy, combined with the most pathetic belief that these two have anything interesting to say, will leave you searching for Italian for 'where is a Borgia when you need one?"

The Trip to Italy is an entertaining but ultimately unengaging comic travelogue of Italy, with Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon traveling across the Italian peninsula while entertaining each other with imitations and listening to Alanis Morissette. Although both lead actors provide excellent performances, they do not make up for a flimsy plot.

The main strength of the film is the magnetism of Coogan and Brydon. Both are extremely skilled impressionists, doing masterful impersonations of, among others, Michael Caine and Al Pacino. Furthermore, when the script gives them an opportunity, the actors show greater depth. Occasionally, they go past the impersonations to show their characters' insecurities. In one scene where is preparing for an audition for a Mafia movie, he goes from endless impersonations of Pacino to a conversation with himself that reveals his lack of confidence.

The Trip to Italy also benefits from some good photography. Admittedly, it is not much of a challenge to take beautiful photographs of the Italian countryside, but the film features a number of truly awe-inspiring locations and shots. The ending shot of the Mediterranean in the sunset is fantastic.

Unfortunately, great impersonations wear thin after an hour, while great scenery does not a good movie make. The film just barely has a plot, with little real character development as our protagonists drive from one great meal to another. More damningly, the film does not end so much as stop, with an abrupt conclusion that will leave viewers unsatisfied.