I recently had the good fortune of attending a CMYE (community manager Yelp event) where I was able to snag a pizza from &pizza while watching a screening of The Trip to Italy, starring Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, at the Landmark E Street Cinema. (One of my favorite spots in all of DC, seriously.)

The Trip to Italy was originally broadcast as a 6-episode television series on BBC Two, as a sequel to The Trip, which took place in England (and is available now on Netflix!). I believe both TV series/films had similar premises: Coogan and Brydon play slightly-fictionalized versions of themselves and play off each other as they take a foodie road trip.

What you need to know about The Trip to Italy is there is no point. Once you have accepted this, the movie is pretty enjoyable. It’s mostly improvised by brilliant comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. I’m personally more familiar with Coogan — who I haven’t seen without his longer hair before!

Here are a few things you can expect when you sit down to watch The Trip to Italy:

• PLENTIFUL. IMPRESSIONS. Coogan and Brydon are talented impressionists. Some of the impressions you’ll hear include:
  • Michael Caine
  • Christian Bale
  • Tom Hardy
  • Al Pacino
  • Robert Deniro
  • Marlon Brando
• References to The Dark Knight Rises
  
  • References to how impossible it was to understand Bane in The Dark Knight Rises
    
• References to The Godfather and The Godfather II
  • References to how The Godfather II is maybe the only time a sequel was as good as/better than the original
    
    
    (This clip wasn’t shown in its entirety in the edited-down film.)
• Alanis Morrisette songs
• Following along the poet, Lord Byron, and his time in Italy
• Nods to several old Hollywood films that were filmed in Italy
• Gorgeous Italian scenery porn
• Gorgeous Italian food porn
• British humor
• Every so subtly, two aging actors acknowledging their changing place in the world and mortality

I really recommend watching this for just a little aimless stroll of a comedy. If it gets released on Netflix, as The Trip has been, I really really encourage checking it out.