The Trip to Italy

I had not seen the first movie so it took me a bit to get into the swing of The Trip to Italy. But once I did (and my Yankee ear adjusted to the British clip and cadence of their banter) I did enjoy it. Coogan and Brydon are the perfect "every guys" - two guys who everyone knows in their own social circle and their jabs at each other are the stuff of most long-term friendships.

Am I the only one who saw the scenery and the restaurants as a metaphor for whatever path the story was taking? Initially, the food was plentiful and hearty, served mostly by the restaurant owners or their family members personally. The banter was more relaxed as they ventured through the first couple of small towns. As the journey progressed into larger towns, the "plot" started to take a substantive turn yet their conversations skittered only lightly over these more weighty topics and the meals turned more "artistic" with the food portions getting smaller and more emphasis put on "plating" with design and form.

Someone else mentioned "eat before you go". MOST definitely. I went into the theater with only a bottle of water and a small bag of M&Ms - and before the first restaurant meal scene was over I was famished. By the end of the movie I was craving a plate of macaroni so strongly that I could almost taste it.

Bottom line - this film is not a blockbuster and I certainly would not recommend it for everyone. But it was an enjoyable story, the actors were likeable and the cinematography was breathtaking. Makes one hunger not only for the food, but for the beauty and simplicity of rural Italian destinations.