New British film brings chuckles

British actors Steve Coogan ("I'm Alan Partridge," "Hamlet 2") and Rob Brydon ("Gavin and Stacy," "The Rob Brydon Show") play the most convincing and hilarious roles of their careers – themselves. The 2010 comedy film "The Trip"follows Steve Coogan, a middle-aged actor separated from his American girlfriend Mischa (Margo Stilley) by thousands of miles, as he takes a road trip through the English countryside to review restaurants for The Observer. When Mischa is unable to join him on his trip and suggests they temporarily break from their relationship, Steve is forced to invite fellow comedian and constant source of embarrassment, Rob Brydon.  They embark on their journey, constantly bickering about who can do the best Michael Cane impression and who, overall, is the best actor and impersonator.

The film was, in fact, edited to film length from a six-part television series of the same name. The show (and thus the film) was largely improvised, feeling almost like a standup comedic duel versus a scripted banter between two colleagues. The film also serves as a sort of follow-up to the 2006 film "Tristram Shanty: A Cock and Bull Story," a film about the making of a fictional screen adaptation of Laurence Sterne's novel "Tristram Shanty," with Coogan and Brydon playing egotistical actors.

Both films and the television series were directed by Michael Winterbottom, the man behind Palme d'Or nominated films such as "Welcome to Sarajevo," "Wonderland," and "24 Hour Party People." The score of the film is almost nonexistent, creating a sort of documentary-esque realism.

Because the film is generally driven by the main characters' interactions and not so much by plot, the film can be dull through spots. To be fair, editing a 6-hour television series down to film length could not have been a simple task. Weekly 45-minute segments are entirely different from an almost 2-hour film. However, Coogan and Brydon's witty thespian banter and the beautiful shots of the English countryside surely fill in those gaps that are lacking conflict.

Coogan and Brydon also make frequent references to British cinema, iconic characters, and geographic stereotypes that an American audience may be unacquainted with, so those jokes tend to fall flat. There were more than a handful of moments while I was viewing the film in Boca Raton, FL where the crowd would look around anxiously upon hearing a joke just to make sure everyone else were as lost as they were. However, don't let those cultural differences scare you away. Coogan and Brydon, while their humor is often deadpan and dry, appeal to most audiences in search of a good laugh. Besides, the snarky remarks about the American film industry and a nice cameo role featuring Ben Stiller help us to ground ourselves on some familiar soil.

While a far stretch from the traditional comedy films an American viewer may be used to, "The Trip" is certainly worth investigating for any lover of laughs, good food, and witticisms.