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Tribeca 2011: The Trip Movie Review

Brendan Walsh — Sun, 01 May 2011 03:57:20 +0000

Michael Winterbottom’s The Trip may have been the only project I was aware of in advance of the Tribeca Film Festival, although not as a feature film. I had only known about this project as a marvelous, 6 episode BBC series released last year, starring the brilliant Steve Coogan and the hilarious Rob Brydon. But this film is not a continuation of the story from the TV show, nor is it a “reimagination.” This is a collection of scenes from the TV series, chopped up and resequenced to create a theatrical movie. So the big question looms: does a 3 hour television masterpiece hold up when you cut it down to a 100 minute feature film? Read the full review to find out…

Michael Winterbottom, sublimely perfected the notion of multi layered meta-narrative in 2005′s Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story. With The Trip, he lowers his sights from adapting an unfilmable novel to create simply a self aware reflection on the personal lives of this film’s (and incidentally, the aforementioned film’s) stars. The Trip stars unsung comic genius Steve Coogan, and popular TV personality Rob Brydon as exaggerated versions of themselves, eating and conversing their way through a dining tour of northern England. Along the way, they ruminate on aging, their respective levels of fame, and their general satisfaction with their lots in life. They also pass the time by trying to one up each other with their knowledge of English literature, their abilities to impersonate other celebrities, and other, generally silly conversations.

The film’s stars are often hilarious, with quick witted banter and a rapport that can only come from a crystal clear understanding of the others’ comic strengths. However, they also manage to turn in wonderfully understated dramatic performances in the film’s quieter moments. Coogan, who rocketed to fame as fictional chat show host Alan Partridge, is perpetually disheartened by the fact that he can’t seem to move beyond the shadow of this character. This, combined with a Peter Pan complex which keeps him pining for fame and validation (as well as young models and waitresses), makes him a particularly melancholy figure. On the other hand, Brydon displays a maturity that one would not expect coming from an actor whose success can be primarily attributed to catch phrases and gimmicky humor.

The technical components of the film are as understated as the performances, allowing for maximum effectiveness from the actors. The photography is simple, alternating between static shots of conversations and handheld shots of the chaotic action that occurs in gourmet kitchens. This transitional device, reminiscent of the shots of everyday mundanity in Ricky Gervais’ The Office, not only breaks up the sometimes long winded dialogue scenes, but interjects a bit of energy between them. There are also a number of grand, wide shots showcasing the solemn beauty of the moorlands of northern England. Such shots help to accentuate the isolation Coogan feels, as if his own talents go as unappreciated as the desolate landscape surrounding them.

The film’s editing is certainly noticeable, but not necessarily showcased. Winterbottom employs jarring jump cuts to play up the off beat comic timing and pensive drama throughout the film. Each scene leads in and out with enough silence to allow viewers to take in a setting, or revel in the aftermath of the backhanded repartee. At times a bit awkward, it is still a fitting technique, because it allows us to simmer in the squirm inducing discomfort, characteristic of British humor. But it also allows us to move on to the next scene quickly and without letting the film drag its feet. Unfortunately, because of the improvised nature of the dialogue, it is apparent that more than a few scenes have been abridged or truncated from much more expansive discussions.

The Trip does, in fact, hold up as a functional and very good movie, in spite of the fact that it was hacked down from a much grander whole. It is funny, compelling, and because of the singular nature of a feature film, stands on its own as a work of art. Though it may have some holes, they aren’t big enough to derail the film. Moreover, they are complemented by its original source material, which anyone who sees this film will certainly be driven to seek out. With any luck, The Trip will bring the recognition its stars so richly deserve.

Rating: 8.5/10

Sundance 2011: My Idiot Brother – Movie Review

Mali Elfman — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 04:05:00 +0000

There’s not other way of saying it, with My Idiot Brother mainstream Hollywood has officially hit the streets of Sundance. Despite the fact that I will see Paul Rudd (even when I’m supposed to be looking for the best unknown ____ who is soon to be amazing) in anything and enjoy the entire supporting cast, one can’t help but wonder what this film is doing at an Independent film festival — everything about it seems as mainstream as possible…

The Players:

Director: Jesse Peretz
Writers: Evgenia Peretz, David Schisgall
Cast: Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, Emily Mortimer, Steve Coogan, Hugh Dancy, Kathryn Hahn, Rashida Jones, Adam Scott
Cinematography By: Yaron Orbach
Original Music By: Eric D. Johnson, Nathan Larson

Sundance Synopsis:

Despite looking for the good in every situation and the best in every person, Ned always seems to find himself holding the short end of the stick—being conned into selling pot to a uniformed cop, being dumped by his girlfriend, and worse yet, losing custody of his beloved dog, Willie Nelson. When he turns to family, he is passed from sister to sister while he gets back on his feet. Ned’s best intentions produce hilariously disastrous results, bringing the family to the cusp of chaos and ultimately the brink of clarity.

Review:

Well, it’s fun! I think my biggest problem with this film is that it was in no way a Sundance film…

Did it have new faces? Nope, it only had recognizable faces — even the extras were A-listers (really! Just look… reallllly hard.)
Did it push any boundaries? Do Steve Coogan’s cock and balls constitute as a boundary? We’ve seen Jason Segel’s, Ken Jeoung’s, Ashton Kutcher’s were referred to a lot by Natalie Portman in No Strings Attached and Ewan McGregor’s has made appearances loads of times in comedies and the like — I think we need more than just apenis, or some incredible penis feat to really get a laugh and/pr push any boundaries.
Did it have a small budget? For a mainstream film maybe, but not in the “I sold my last shoe to buy the tape to get the final shot” — not so much (hough I don’t know if that’s a realistic Sundance category anymore). Once a studio buys it (which was already done by the Weinsteins before any of us had time to form an opinion) so much money will be pushed into it, it won’t matter if they made the whole thing for a tissue, it will still be a multi-million dollar film.
Did it have a new director? Nope! But not a well-established one, one that is definitely trying to make his mark — that’s something.
The Shots/Camera Work: We’ve got no interesting colors, odd angles, wide ranges, extreme close-ups or anything to really differentiate this film from any other pretty and cleanly shot rom-com in theaters.
Did it embody the spirit of Independent film (whatever that means)? It’s as mainstream as all the other comedies in theaters, it was just took the Sundance route to get some buzz and possibly because John Cooper wanted Paul Rudd there (I have no idea if that’s true, but it might be!)

That all being said. It’s funny for a mainstream comedy, has a few very clever moments, is predictable but a fun ride none-the-less. Plus, check out how hairless Coogan is! Did he just get everything he could waxed before the shoot?

Rating: 5.5/10

Marmaduke Voice Cast Announced

Krystal Clark — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:24:33 +0000

I vaguely remember reading an article about the upcoming animated feature Marmaduke. The film is based on the popular comic strip character of the same name that was originally created by Brad Anderson. The film will be a mix of CGI and live action following in the footsteps of Alvin and the Chipmunks and Garfield. The newly announced cast features everyone from a British comedian to a Black Eye Pea, find out who’ll be behind the scenes of Marmaduke.

Amanda Seyfried – “Mazie,”
Jeremy Piven -”Bosco,”
Ron Perlman -”Chupadogra,”
Christopher Mintz-Plasse -”Guiseppe,”
Stacy “Fergie” Ferguson -”Jezebel.”
Steve Coogan – “Raisin,”
George Lopez - “Carlos”
Damon Wayans Jr. – “Thunder.”
Judy Greer – “Debbie Winslow”
Lee Pace – “Phil Winslow”

I’m not really surprised by Fergie’s casting in this film because she has a history of voice work as a child actor. She used to do one of the voices on Charlie Brown. I think the one thing we want to know is, who’s going to play Marmaduke? The character isn’t even mentioned.

“The original comic strip for the character was about a family and their Great Dane has been published fairly regularly since 1954, and it spawned a series of cartoons in 1980.”

What do you think about the voice cast of Marmaduke?

Source: ComingSoon

Samuel L. Jackson Joins The Other Guys

Krystal Clark — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 02:06:31 +0000

The buddy cop comedy The Other Guys, which was tentatively entitled The B Team has two new recruits. According to Variety, Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson will co-star in the film, that is being headlined by Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell. Production on the Columbia produced feature starts tomorrow and will be directed by Adam McKay.

The Other Guys centers on a pair of second string cops who try to gain respect and admiration from their law enforcement peers. Jackson and Johnson will play an elite pair of police officers who have everything they want and more. Their exploits are the envy of everyone in their department including Wahlberg and Ferrell’s characters. McKay co-wrote the script for the film along with Chris Henchy.

This is a step in a semi-positive direction for Johnson, because I was one family film away from cutting him off. Earlier today we released the poster for his latest film, The Tooth Fairy, and it’s not his best look. This film will also come as a much needed comedic break for Wahlberg. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing him in a lighter role.

The Other Guys hits theaters on August 6, 2010.

What do you think of Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson teaming up for The Other Guys?

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Teaser Trailer

Krystal Clark — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:10:50 +0000

A teaser trailer has been released for the upcoming family film, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief. The film’s directed by Chris Columbus and stars Pierce Brosnan, Uma Thurman, Sean Bean, Kevin McKidd, Catherine Keener, Rosario Dawson and Steve Coogan.

According to Coming Soon, the film centers on “Poseidon’s son, a 12-year-old boy,who sets out on a quest in present-day America to rescue his mother, return Zeus’ stolen lightning bolt and prevent a civil war from erupting among the gods.”

Check out the trailer after the jump.

Percy Jackson is set for release on February 12, 2010. I’m a sucker for anything that uses Greek mythology as a backdrop so I might actually give this film a shot.

What do you think of the first teaser trailer for Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief?

ScreenCrave.com » steve coogan

Tribeca 2011: The Trip Movie Review

Rating: 8.5/10

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Sundance 2011: My Idiot Brother – Movie Review

The Players:

Sundance Synopsis:

Review:

Rating: 5.5/10

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