THE TRIP TO ITALY

Was planning a trip to Italy so watched this travelogue movie, The Trip to Italy, about two English/Welsh actors (Steve Coogan & Bob Brydon) traveling down the east coast of Italy (Liguria – Piemonte – Toscana – Roma – Campania). These two good friends find a reason to have someone pay for their trip to research an article. While traveling they are constantly performing for each other, constantly acting, constantly doing impersonations, dropping references from Byron & Shelley, to Alanis Morrissett (in the same sentence) to a wide range of movie references; Al Pacino, Garrison Keillor, Morrisey, Hugh Grant, Robert DeNiro, Julia Roberts, Michael Bublé, Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, etc.

© − All right reserved.

To summarize the movie in chronological order: Talk, eat, drive, talk, eat, drive, sight-see, sail, recite poetry, eat & talk, sail, eat & drink, talk, sleep, drive, sight-see funeral sites, drive, eat, drive, sleep, eat, rehearse, drive to Rome, eat, talk all the time, touring graves & Pompeii, – you get the idea – that’s the first half of the movie. You do see quick shots of very expensive food being served and cooked, which amounts to a total of about 30 seconds in this travelogue movie.

© − All right reserved.

There are some fairly amusing discussions and you begin to get drawn into their humor, but then, quite suddenly you become bored and want to see where this is going – don’t expect it to go anywhere significant. I guess I should learn to eat like a British/Welsh whatever guy: Hold the knife in the right hand, the fork in the left hand, cut with the right hand, put the food in your mouth with the upside-down fork in your left hand. Put knife and fork down only when you drink wine.