I have not seen their first film, The Trip. I just jumped straight into their tour of Italy. Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon are semi-fictionalized versions of themselves, but it took me awhile to realize that they were fictionalizing things at all. There are actors playing their family members, personal assistants/agents, and staff at the hotels. The two frenemies spend much time chatting about Alanis Morissette and The Godfather films. One of the best scenes is a dream sequence recreation of a famous Italian set scene from The Godfather, Part II. Otherwise, they cruise around in a tiny sports car and dine at fancy restaurants retracing the path of the poet Byron's exile trek through the boot in the Mediterranean.

The viewer may already be familiar with the concept of comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon being this generation's Hope and Crosby when they toured and ate their way across England in "The Trip." Thankfully, that familiarity has not led to contempt(although it does mention the movie of the same title), just enjoyment as this time they tour Italy where it is Brydon who has the job offer and the dalliance with a younger woman while Coogan's show has just ended which is probably for the best. They discuss a wide range of topics from mortality to Alanis Morissette, all the while chasing the ghosts of Byron and Shelley in a Mini Cooper with the spectacular Italian scenery as a backdrop and being fueled by great looking food.(At last, I finally understand the concept of food porn.) The question Brydon and Coogan ask is whether or not they will be remembered in 200 years which is impossible to gauge. But their referencing all manner of classic films provides hope for long memories. In any case, it appears that the "Beat the Devil" story is true.