Left side of the Road Trip : British humor

The 2010 (?) British co-called mockumentary "The Trip" - which, as A. points out - isn't really a mockumentary at all but just a comic movie in which the two lead actors play themselves - is hilarious at times an, if you're willing to put up with a lot of dead spots as the two leads, Steve Coogan and Rog Bryden I think are their names, improvise and ad lib and hack around sometimes to good effect and sometimes not, then you'll enjoy the movie - I did, to a degree. As A. also pointed out, you kind of need the dead spots to make the whole thing work - and it does work, to a degree, but could have been so much better had they taken more care - that is, shot a lot more footage - and used only the best stuff. The story: two London actors, one (Steve) reasonably successful but still frustrated that he's not in the top tier and the other far less known and more of a standup than a dramatic actor - take a week-long trip through the British countryside to try out various high-end restaurants on some kind of magazine assignment. They never take notes or write anything, so the premise is kind of abandoned right from the start - but it's a chance for these two guys to get into a lot banter during many dinners at which they dine on what's supposed to be very cutting-edge cuisine but seems ridiculously pretentious and at times inedible. The highlights are the conversation, near the end, when they discuss what if: if you could be sure your kids would be healthy and happy, would you give up all your awards? Doesn't sound funny, but trust me it gets there. Also, very funny take on movies and play speeches about leaving for battle at the "break of day." Why not at 8:30? -ish? Very funny. Unfortunately, lots of the movie involves the two guys tormenting each other with impressions, some OK some much less so, and with lots of competition. What would have made it a better movie would have been a real dramatic arc - truly learning about one another, about themselves, and at the end each being of becoming a different person from the guy who started out. There's a hint of this - but not enough. Will remind you in various ways of My Dinner with Andre - though more overtly comic - and of Sideways - though with less of a plot line. A pretty good movie, very British humor - also reminded me of Withnal & I - obviously never became a hit in the U.S. Please, let's not remake it here wit Ben Stiller (who has a cameo) and Adam Sandler, OK?