The Grouchy Editor

The critics seem to love this road comedy – so why didn’t I?  There was only one thing I could do:  I had to make The Trip twice.

On my first viewing, I thought the film’s British humor might have whizzed past me because comedy does not always travel well.  Or maybe I simply had trouble deciphering the actors’ heavy accents.  For whatever reason, I was not particularly taken with this two-hour expansion of a popular English television series.

Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon play fictionalized versions of themselves, two moderately successful actors.  Coogan is the insecure playboy, and Brydon is the contented family man.   After his latest girlfriend splits, Coogan invites sort-of pal Brydon to join him on an excursion to the north of England, expenses paid by a magazine for which Coogan, hopefully, will write an article about the culinary delights found at country inns.

The two aging performers do much of their communicating – too much of it – through celebrity impersonations.  Amusing at first, this kind of repartee can grow tiresome.  Somewhere after the fifth or sixth such scene, I vowed never again to watch a Michael Caine movie.

But the critics loved this film.  So I watched it a second time and — surprise! —  it seemed much better.  The constant barrage of movie-star mimicry became less irksome.  I began to soak in the beautiful northern England landscapes, and to salivate at the sight of golden scallops soaked in butter.

The Trip grew on me mostly because Coogan and Brydon grew on me.  Much of the screenplay’s wit stems from the way these two decidedly heterosexual males interact.  They can discuss “soft” topics like Coleridge’s poetry and gourmet dining only if they also come with a side of competition, a dash of homophobia, and a bit more competition.

But there was still too much yakking, even on my second viewing.  The Trip is at its best when it stops long enough for some introspection – primarily by Coogan, who is confronted with his past (a woman with whom he once had a one-night stand – or so he thinks), his present (is Brydon’s dull-yet-happy home life a better way to live?) and his future (an old bore who ensnares him on a rock-climbing expedition; is it Coogan’s destiny to wind up like this old coot?).

In the end, I enjoyed The Trip and I recommend it.  I just hope you don’t have to watch it twice.      Grade:  B

Director:  Michael Winterbottom  Cast:  Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon, Claire Keelan, Margo Stilley, Rebecca Johnson, Dolya Gavanski, Kerry Shale  Release:  2011

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The Double Hour falls squarely into my favorite genre, the romantic suspense film.  Alfred Hitchcock, of course, was the master of this type of movie, but now and then someone else produces a good one.  The Double Hour, from Italian director Giuseppe Capotondi, is more typical of what fans of this genre usually get:  a nice try, but no threat to Hitchcock.

I’m going to summarize the plot, but keep in mind that everything I describe might or might not be true.  (Yes, it’s that kind of movie.)  A hotel maid (Kseniya Rappoport) meets a handsome ex-cop (Filippo Timi) at a speed-dating event.  They seem to hit it off, but quickly find themselves in the middle of an art heist in which someone is shot.  But is the maid who she says she is?  Is the ex-cop who he claims to be?

I can’t say more about the plot without either lying or revealing too much.  The problem with The Double Hour is that when you have a story this convoluted – with twists and turns pummeling the audience – your movie needs a lead character or two who are well-grounded, someone the audience can cling to when things get loopy.  Alas, the two lovers are both rather cold, distant characters, and the chemistry between them is underwhelming.  Russian actress Rappoport, especially, is attractive but doesn’t display much range.

I’m not sure that director Capotondi plays entirely fair with the audience.  There’s a fine line between “Oh, I get it now” and “Hey, that’s cheating!”  Still, if you enjoy this kind of movie, like I do, and if you are into solving puzzles, The Double Hour will keep you guessing.  But it’s no Vertigo.       Grade:  B-

Director:  Giuseppe Capotondi   Cast:  Kseniya Rappoport, Filippo Timi, Antonia Truppo, Gaetano Bruno, Fausto Russo Alesi, Michele Di Mauro, Lorenzo Gioielli, Lidia Vitale   Release:  2009

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