A good ride

The best movies challenge our assumptions.

Thanks to the English costume drama, for example, I’ve learned that, whatever their faults, the aristocracy in and around the Elizabethan period, most particularly if they bore a strong resemblance to Peter O’Toole, flourished in Britain’s halcyon, albeit brief, period of straight teeth and solid dental hygiene.

Strange how a country can start down one path and veer to another.

Just to digress a bit, I don’t know when the Brits decided to pull back from world domination and concentrate their best brains on dry wit. But it worked; in the latter they’ve reigned supreme for at least two centuries. And to that, I say god save the queen.

Here’s a couple of clips from the newly released The Trip.

Clip one

Clip two

It’s a road movie, with lots of good bits by two British comedians. I assumed the whole film would be a string of snappy impressions. But The Trip is actually a profound examination of communication, and the irritations and comfort we find in personal relationships. It makes an understated argument for companionship, accepting both the weaknesses and strengths of our friends.

There’s more to say, but I saw the movie with a guy who didn't like it. Missed the nuances, subtext; thought it dragged. Isn't that life? Just when you want to talk about about the subtleties of human interaction and tolerance, you're sitting with a fucking idiot who gets on your last nerve.