The Trip to Greece (IFC Films, 2020)
This week’s home releases on Blu-ray and DVD include Steve Coogan-Rob Brydon’s funny travelogue and a drama from Portugal.
A Trip to Greece (IFC Films)
The funny business continues. For the past decade, British actors Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon—under the watchful camera of director Michael Winterbottom—have made a series of road pictures. The ostensible purpose was to sample the cuisine but the real reason to keep going is the conversation. Coogan and Brydon are an endlessly entertaining comedy duo.
In The Trip to Greece (2020), Coogan and Brydon finish their world tour. More or less retracing Odysseus’ journey, the two friends have a great time discussing the ancient origins of everything (Nike, Marathon, the Trojan Horse) and trading quips about the entertainment industry. Coogan is a bit more interested in Aristotle while Brydon leans toward Barry Gibb (“Grease is the word!”). They’re great imitators of voices and gestures, riffing on Mick Jagger, Marlon Brando and Werner Herzog. Ten years already? They spend more than a few moments laughing over growing older.
Terra Franca (IndiePix)
Portuguese filmmaker Leonor Teles won several awards for Terra Franca, described as a hybrid of reality and fiction. It follows the life of a fisherman, Alberto, the father in a crowded household who earns his living—and seems most at home—on the water at dawn, lowering his net. Those scenes are quietly beautiful, with no sound but the squawking seagulls whirling overhead. Making a living from the water, however, is hard work in these times.
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