A Voyage of Understanding

This movie was one of the few that I actually have not liked. I found it boring and slow and not very funny. I don't know why I didn't like it so much but I just didn't, and I found it very hard to watch.
Most movies where actors play themselves are generally viewed as distasteful and egotistical, this was no exception. Steve Coogan is someone who I find very annoying and hearing him constantly berate another human just made me angry. This entire movie just seemed to be unoriginal and unbearable.
With all of this being said, there were some good moments. Two enemies became friends and the relationship they shared seemed to blossom throughout the movie. So, it wasn't a complete waste. I hope that these two are genuine friends in real life now because of the life changing experience they shared on the road, but, it was a movie.
The movie is centered around two people who I found not funny in the slightest, even though the where telling jokes and doing impersonations constantly. I really just don't like the people selected for the lead roles in this movie. And, making Steve Coogan look like a bad parent in the process didn't help me like him much more than when the movie began.
I may be alone in my thinking, but I just did not like this movie. I understand that it was a food day but I didn't find it worth it to see two people eat food for over an hour. Yes, I am sure the food was good, but it was the focal point of a movie based around two people who ate food.
So, although it had some good food featured in it. I will probably never watch this movie again.

The Trip

I don’t really know why I liked The Trip.  It’s a weird thing to say but it’s true.  I liked it but when I sit down to think of why I come up short.  There was barely any character development and not much plot to speak of but it was entertaining.  Maybe that’s the only thing that could be said for it, which isn’t a bad thing.  I certainly don’t think that the filmmakers failed to accomplish what they set out to do, I think they hit it spot on; the problem is I can’t quite tell what they did.  I suppose it’s like a standup routine, just some jokes that were there to make you laugh, it’s not really telling a story.  I found the majority of the jokes funny there were some that weren’t quite my style of humor and some that went over my head but there were some pretty funny parts in it.  I think what makes it work is that it is a standup routine inside the normal life of these two comedians/actors.  It’s like Seinfeld in that aspect, but even more about nothing.  I know that they went on a trip, which could be considered something, but I think that, even thought it’s the film’s title, it was just a plot device and didn’t have much to do with the story.  The writers just needed a believable reason for these two comedians to spend an extended amount of time with each other, so they threw in the trip aspect, I don’t think the trip was essential to the plot, again even though it’s the film’s title.  All in all I liked it, it was merely entertaining and it didn’t leave me wanting something more.

Vehicle for Friendship

Ah, yes, the age old tale where you throw two people who don't get along very well in a car and make them go on a road trip together. While I didn't think this film was among the best I've ever seen, I did enjoy it. I thought it was funny at times, and I liked watching the characters slowly come to terms with each other and even become friends.

I think the meal scenes were a good demonstration of their friendship. Because Steve didn't know much about food, the meal scenes were less about what they were actually eating and more about how they interacted with each other. Of course, some of their interactions did have to do with food. For example, when they poked fun at the dishes in the French restaurant. However, many of the conversations weren't about food at all. They discussed James Bond, the song "The Winner Takes It All," their families, movie awards, etc.

Meal scenes serve a very important purpose in both film and literature, and I think that purpose is primarily to show character development and interaction, and this movie was really great for that.