While this summer will be a battleground between R-rated comedies each trying to out-raunch each other, perhaps the biggest belly laughs will come from director Michael Winterbottom‘s droll and hilarious “The Trip” which delivers all the comedy without having to rely on much of a foul mouth.
Starring Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, riffing on their actual personas, the largely improvised film finds the duo touring some very posh eateries in Northern England and chatting about their careers, aspirations and most hilariously, other actors in the industry (the countless impressions are already a big hit on YouTube). For those of you in the U.K., the project already arrived as a 6-part BBC mini-series last year. While there’s no word yet if those of us in North America will ever get to see the expanded version (we really hope so), IFC will be releasing the theatrical cut which whittles down its television counterparts three hour length to a manageable 70 minutes, but still contains some exclusive footage and a flow and narrative intact. We saw the film as part of the Tribeca Film Festival and while it may not be as deep or heavy as Winterbottom’s dramatic work, it is still wickedly funny, a low key, winning film that is undeniably entertaining.
You can check out the the full poster for the film below and it tells you all you need to know. “The Trip” will hit theaters this summer on June 10th, VOD on June 22nd and those of us who haven’t seen it are definitely looking forward to it.