June 1, 2020 Issue

I saw Michael Winterbottom’s latest Trip movie, The Trip to Greece, last week on iTunes. I enjoyed it immensely. Anthony Lane reviews it in this week’s New Yorker. He says, “The feast of banter, consumed amid the groves and harbors of the ancient gods, is topped with a fresh sprinkling of testiness.” That “feast of banter” perfectly describes not only The Trip to Greece, but also the other three movies in the series – The Trip (2010), The Trip to Italy (2014), and The Trip to Spain (2017). Watching Steve Coogan and Rob Bryden’s dazzling impersonation duels is addictive. Lane’s wit is pretty sharp, too. He says of The Trip to Greece,

In one respect, “The Trip to Greece” is unlike any of its predecessors. Rather than saying to yourself, “Mmm, those shrimp look good,” you now think, “These guys are dining in restaurants—you know, those old pre-pandemic joints. With other non-family members sitting nearby!” To see Coogan and Brydon being waited upon by unmasked servers, who carry the plates with bare hands, is to yearn for the touchstones of a mythical past. As one kindly waitress inquires, in a lull between courses, “Do you want to continue?” Yes, if we can. Forever.