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Lasting Impressions

By David Denby

It’s been said of great mimics that they capture not just the voice and the manner of their subjects but their very souls. Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, master impersonators and stars of the new comedy “The Trip to Italy,” are after something less grand and, in many ways, funnier. The movie is a sequel to “The Trip” (2011)—both were directed by Michael Winterbottom—and it repeats the earlier film’s mixed tone of hilarity and melancholia, as well as its absurd premise: the two men (they play themselves) are on an all-expenses-paid trip for the Observer . Their tough assignment is to drive through beautiful country, eat lavishly, and stay in exquisite small hotels, all so that one or the other can write high-toned culinary drivel for the paper. (They don’t actually know anything about food.) “The Trip” was set in the bleakly magnificent scenery of the hills and moors of the North of England; this film is set mainly along the incomparable coast (Liguria, Amalfi) of Italy. As the men amble through paradise, savoring such dishes as polpo alla griglia and coniglio arrosto , they take turns topping each other with riotous impressions of movie stars. They aren’t interested in anyone’s soul; they see themselves simply as professionals in an exacting trade that requires getting Christian Bale’s guttural whisper and Roger Moore’s English-butter croon exactly right. They also try to one-up each other as men, vying for professional success and for the attention of the invariably lovely women they meet. Sharks have duller teeth than Coogan and Brydon. Both movies, in fact, are about the impossibility—and the necessity—of male friendship.

Each film began as a six-part series on the BBC, and what we see, presumably, are the highlights. Yet if I hadn’t known that the footage had been cut way down I wouldn’t have guessed it. Winterbottom laid out the gist of a given scene, and the men improvised the rest, often taking off on bizarrely intricate riffs. Driving, eating, checking into hotels, lying alone (and sometimes not alone) at night—the recurring scenes, like the refrain of a song, give the movie formal clarity and simplicity, while, within the scenes, the editors (Mags Arnold, Paul Monaghan, and Marc Richardson) smooth what must have been ragged exchanges into unbroken streams of conversation.

The pace almost equals that of Robin Williams doing standup, but Coogan and Brydon reprise their best sallies for rhythm and for emphasis, so you won’t miss anything that matters. Ogling the scenery in “The Trip to Italy,” you wonder if the men’s small car—a Mini Cooper—will drive off the edge of a cliff, or if, when they board a yacht in the Golfo dei Poeti, someone will fall overboard and drown. But the “plot” is no more than the men’s thorny emotional connection and their mutual fixation on death. The only conventional suspense is whether Brydon and Coogan will return to their families or remain among the young women of Sorrento and Positano, catching octopus and squid.

Brydon, who is largely unknown in this country, has a long pale face, a Bugs Bunny smile, and pitted skin like that of his fellow-Welshman Richard Burton. Brydon’s voice is like Burton’s, too—baritonal, musical, and expansive. When Brydon reads Shelley in his imitation-Burton voice, he sounds nearly as authoritative as the Master. (He also does a mean Ian McKellen.) Brydon’s voice can go up or down an octave, or shrink, through some glottal mystery, to the tiny sound of a man in a box, a favorite routine that he does on British TV. Perhaps the most extraordinary of his impressions is a long series in “The Trip” devoted to Michael Caine at different stages of his life, from a snarling young Cockney to the elderly, hyper-polite butler in the “Batman” movies. Even as Brydon delivers his rendition, however, Coogan disputes his technique. You have to talk through your nose, he says; you have to get the nasality right, and he honks through his Michael Caine. For both men, craft is a passion, and the voice is supreme. When Brydon does Hugh Grant, the meaning of the words gets lost in a thicket of Grantian hesitations, jokes, and daft circumlocutions, only to emerge victoriously in a proposal that few women could resist. An actor’s distinctive voice is not just an element of leading-man stardom (which the two know they will never achieve) but the main equipment of sexual prowess. Coogan and Brydon’s Hollywood envy keeps the comedy free of sycophancy and appropriately hostile. Imitating well is the best revenge.

Coogan is best known here for his work in the Stephen Frears movie “Philomena” (2013), in which he played the real-life journalist Martin Sixsmith, an argumentative skeptic who helps Judi Dench’s Philomena Lee, a forgiving Catholic Irish woman, search for her long-lost son. Working in a softened version of screwball comedy, Coogan and Dench bantered with spirit but without sentiment. Yet, even in that relatively gentle role, Coogan, frowning, his pursed lips bordering on a sneer, came off as an articulate grouch. In the “Trip” films, playing a version of himself, he’s intelligent and dyspeptic, a man too clever to live by illusions but too ambitious to give them up. He’s dissatisfied with everything—his career, his relationship with his children, his waning sexual attractiveness—and he takes it out on his friend. In return, Brydon, in “The Trip to Italy,” concocts no fewer than three fantasies of murdering him, including a precise reënactment of the famous retaliation scene from “The Godfather: Part II.” As a portrait of male friendship, the “Trip” films are a triumph of the lean British comic style over the maunder and the mush of American bromance—Jason Segel and Seth Rogen pinching each other’s blubber.

Both films pursue the high and the low: a complicated deep-running sadness courses through the cynical, sybaritic adventures. In “The Trip,” Coogan and Brydon visit the villages where Wordsworth and Coleridge lived; they invade the poets’ tiny rooms, and recite, under gray skies, stretches of their early work, most of it devoted to loss and grief. The readings are done straight, with love and skill. Yet we’re meant to notice the diminution: from nature as spiritual necessity to tourist site; from poetry to show business; from inspiration to career worries. Coogan and Brydon abhor self-aggrandizement and self-promoting bluster—they know that what they do isn’t poetry.

The implicit comparisons recur in Italy, where the men visit the towns in which the sexual outlaws Byron and Shelley lived, shortly before their deaths. The comics perform funerary obsequies for the poets and again recite in their own and others’ voices. “The Trip to Italy,” for all its japes, is haunted by mortality, as was its namesake, “Viaggio in Italia” (1954), the Rossellini masterpiece starring George Sanders and Ingrid Bergman as a warring couple dismally on tour. Like them, Coogan and Brydon visit the museum at Pompeii, with its plaster casts of the bodies of the dead. Rossellini showed us a couple who died locked in embrace when Vesuvius exploded, a harsh reflection on the modern couple’s marital anguish. Here, in a blasphemous reduction, Brydon summons his man-in-a-box voice to play a Pompeian lying in a glass case; the two carry on a discreet gay flirtation. It’s not that the end is nigh for these men, but death, for them and for Winterbottom, is always present in life. Over and over on the soundtrack, Winterbottom plays the beginning of “Im Abendrot,” the last of Richard Strauss’s “Four Last Songs,” composed in 1948, a year before he died, at the age of eighty-five. The use of classical music in movies normally makes me wince, but in this film the glorious Strauss farewell fits every time.

James Agee, writing in The Nation , in 1946, noted that Groucho Marx, working with “extremely sophisticated wit . . . has always been slowed and burdened by his audience, even on the stage. He needs an audience that could catch the weirdest curves he could throw, and he needs to have no anxiety or responsibility toward even a blunter minority, let alone majority.” That audience now exists; it has been created during the past forty years by British and American television, particularly by cable television. Whether such people go to the movies anymore is a vexed question. On the opening day of “The Trip to Italy,” I sat in a New York art house among a gathering of decidedly mature viewers, who were apparently expecting a beach-and-mountain travelogue. For a hundred and ten minutes, watching some of the funniest comedy in years, they maintained a puzzled silence. The British, in their curious game of cricket, don’t throw weird curves; they deliver fast bowls. The two Winterbottom-Coogan-Brydon movies deserve an American audience, ready for wit, that can play along. ♦

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By Michael Schulman

By Anthony Lane

By Richard Brody

By Justin Chang

Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon Mock THE DARK KNIGHT RISES in New Clip from THE TRIP TO ITALY

Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon resume their Michael Caine impressions in The Trip to Italy, and also make fun of The Dark Knight Rises.

2010's The Trip didn't do much for me, although I love the scene where Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon try to find out who can do the better Michael Caine impression.  The sequel, The Trip to Italy , premiered at Sundance this past week, and IFC Films have released a clip where Coogan and Brydon have resumed impersonating the venerable Mr. Caine.  They also use this as an opportunity to poke fun at The Dark Knight Rises and expand their repertoire to impressions of Christian Bale and Tom Hardy .  It's quite amusing.

Hit the jump to check out the clip.

Via IFC Films.

Also, here's the scene their mocking if you want to compare Michael Caine's performance to their impressions:

Here's the Sundance synopsis for The Trip to Italy :

Michael Winterbottom’s largely improvised 2010 film, The Trip, took comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon—or semifictionalized versions thereof—on a restaurant tour around northern England. In this witty and incisive follow-up, Winterbottom reunites the pair for a new culinary road trip, retracing the steps of the Romantic poets’ grand tour of Italy and indulging in some sparkling banter and impersonation-offs. Rewhetting our palates from the earlier film, the characters enjoy mouthwatering meals in gorgeous settings from Liguria to Capri while riffing on subjects as varied as Batman’s vocal register, the artistic merits of “Jagged Little Pill,” and, of course, the virtue of sequels.

• Cast & crew
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The Dark Knight

When the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, Batman must accept one of the greatest psychological and physical tests of his ability to fight injustice. When the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, Batman must accept one of the greatest psychological and physical tests of his ability to fight injustice. When the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, Batman must accept one of the greatest psychological and physical tests of his ability to fight injustice.

• Christopher Nolan
• Jonathan Nolan
• David S. Goyer
• Christian Bale
• Heath Ledger
• Aaron Eckhart
• 8.7K User reviews
• 334 Critic reviews
• 84 Metascore
• 163 wins & 164 nominations total

• Bruce Wayne …

• Harvey Dent

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• Trivia In Sir Michael Caine 's opinion, Heath Ledger beat the odds and topped Jack Nicholson 's Joker from Batman (1989) : "Jack was like a clown figure, benign but wicked, maybe a killer old uncle. He could be funny and make you laugh. Heath's gone in a completely different direction to Jack, he's like a really scary psychopath. He's a lovely guy and his Joker is going to be a hell of a revelation in this picture." Caine bases this belief on a scene where The Joker pays a visit to Bruce Wayne's penthouse. He'd never met Ledger before, so when Ledger arrived and performed, he gave Caine such a fright, he forgot his lines.
• Goofs It is said that all of the license plates seen on cars in the film are Illinois plates. In fact, they're not: they are actually plates for the fictional Gotham, although they resemble Illinois plates. The "Gotham" plates that were created by film makers were made to look like Illinois plates, just in case some slipped through in background shots during filming in Chicago.

The Chechen : [During a private sit down meeting with the gangsters] What do you propose?

The Joker : It's simple. We, uh, kill the Batman.

[mobsters laugh]

Salvatore Maroni : If it's so simple, why haven't you done it already?

The Joker : If you're good at something, never do it for free.

• Crazy credits Christian Bale is credited with playing "Bruce Wayne" but not "Batman" in the closing credits.
• Alternate versions The Blu-ray version of the movie has several of the big action scenes and high altitude photography scenes in ordinary 16:9 (1.78:1) widescreen ratio while the rest of the movie preserves the "scope" format (2.39:1). This is because these scenes were filmed in IMAX, whose format is 1.43:1, thus attempting to recreate the effect witnessed in IMAX theaters, as well as preserving as much of these shots as possible.
• Connections Edited into Buba Shel Medina: Episode #2.1 (2013)
• Soundtracks Balmoral Performed by The Pipes and Drums of the Chicago Police Department

User reviews 8.7K

• Feb 17, 2021
• Who created the character of Batman? Bob Kane is listed in old (pre-2015) media including the comic books as creating Batman on his own but new media (made after 2015) shows him as co-creating the character with someone called Bill Finger, so what's all that about?
• Which characters were adapted from the Batman comic books?
• Is there any archive footage in the film?
• July 18, 2008 (United States)
• United States
• United Kingdom
• Warner Bros.
• Batman Begins 2
• Chicago, Illinois, USA
• Legendary Entertainment
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $185,000,000 (estimated)
• $534,987,076
• $158,411,483
• Jul 20, 2008
• $1,008,486,720

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 32 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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The Trip to Italy

2014, Comedy, 1h 46m

What to know

Critics Consensus

While perhaps not quite as fresh as Coogan and Brydon's original voyage in The Trip , The Trip to Italy still proves a thoroughly agreeable sequel. Read critic reviews

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The trip to italy   photos.

During a tour of Italy, two friends (Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon) enjoy sumptuous meals and lively conversations about such eclectic topics as Batman's vocal range.

Genre: Comedy

Original Language: English

Director: Michael Winterbottom

Producer: Melissa Parmenter

Release Date (Theaters): Aug 15, 2014  limited

Release Date (Streaming): Dec 23, 2016

Box Office (Gross USA): $2.9M

Runtime: 1h 46m

Distributor: IFC Films

Production Co: Small Man, Revolution, Baby Cow Productions

Cast & Crew

Steve Coogan

Rosie Fellner

Claire Keelan

Marta Barrio

Timothy Leach

Ronni Ancona

Rebecca Johnson

Alba Foncuberta

Flora Villani

Villa Cimbrone Receptionist

Michael Winterbottom

Melissa Parmenter

Andrew Eaton

Executive Producer

Henry Normal

James Clarke

Cinematographer

Paul Monaghan

Film Editing

Mags Arnold

Marc Richardson

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Critic Reviews for The Trip to Italy

Audience reviews for the trip to italy.

I was really into the first film, The Trip, thanks to the chemistry between its perfectly matched leads, Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, and their heavily improvised dialogue.  The fact that the film felt mostly like a project in self-indulgence, going to great restaurants and eating great food, was irrelevant when the film was that good.  This film, and its prequel, for all the faults you could name, comes across like it was a very easy movie to make.  Not saying that it was easy, but that's the air it gives off.  This sequel is, essentially, the same concept as the first one except it's set in Italy.  Of course, they choose some of the most beautiful Italian settings, so in a way, it also serves as a video to help promote Italy's tourism market.  The film, admittedly, isn't as good as the first one.  That's not a huge complaint, since there's no massive drop in quality, just only a very slight drop.  Steve Coogan' s and Rob Brydon's excellent chemistry carries this film.  What I liked about the first one is that, underneath all the Michael Caine impressions and self-deprecating humor, was actually a strong character arc for both Steve's and Rob's character.  The sequel tries this same formula without nearly the same success. For example, Steve trying to reconnect with his son is actually good.  But Rob having an affair, when in the first film he was presented as a likable and loving family man, well it just feels out of place with what's already been established.  And I get it, people change throughout the years, but it doesn't really work well.  Rob finally making inroads into the American film world was good though. Of course when the majority of the film consists of amusing and hilarious conversations between Steve and Rob, it's kinda hard to review the film, because you're really only talking about the dialogue and not an actual narrative, even though there is one, however understated it may be. If you liked the first film, then there would be no reason for you to dislike this one. It's more of what you loved, and for good reason. I may have given it the same rating as the first one, but this is only a slight decrease in quality. It's still very good and very funny, but it is an acquired taste. Not everyone will enjoy this, that's for damn sure.

There is a scene in The Trip to Italy where Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon visit the exhibit around Pompeii and while Brydon takes the expected comical approach to their surroundings Coogan stops to consider the reality of the situation. There is a rich and very depressing history to what they are seeing; these were human lives that were taken away in one short breath and while Coogan is somewhat flabbergasted at the thought of that occurrence Brydon takes advantage of the situation by excelling at his trade-doing voices. He gives the body, still covered in concrete ash, a voice from inside the glass case to which he carries on a conversation with. This scene in particular captures the balance of not only these films, but this film specifically in one small moment. It gives credence to the solemnity of life while allowing the overwhelming sense of comedy that seeps into our every day experiences to serve as the highlight because, well, we'd all really like to live in a comedy, wouldn't we? I've only been familiar with Brydon since the first installment of this series a few years back, but Coogan has been a presence, for me personally anyway, for a bit longer and his profile outside of these movies lends the atmosphere a little more depth if not credibility. These aren't films you necessarily look to for pure entertainment value, but they are rather stimulating and deliver plenty of laughs where you chuckle to yourself and feel present and enthralled for sharing in their journey.

The Trip to Italy is more of the same. Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon are a funny comedy team. Their dueling Michael Caines were a standout in the original. This time however the shtick comes across as a bit desperate. The movie has barely begun and they're already going back that well again. "You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!" Steve Coogan shout at the top of his lungs. The obvious Caine quote from 1969's The Italian Job. Then the pair discuss The Dark Knight Rises and who is less understandable - Tom Hardy as Bane or Christian Bale as Batman. Do you like the impressions? Then I have very good news for you - a whole slew of celebrities are mimicked: Clint Eastwood, Sean Connery, Richard Burton, Anthony Hopkins, Hugh Grant, Dustin Hoffman, Truman Capote, Gore Vidal, Humphrey Bogart. Some are good (Woody Allen). Others are just awful (Al Pacino). Perhaps that was the point. Most of these are done by Brydon who once again plays the irritant to Coogan's agitated fellow. So how do you say déjà vu in Italian? fastfilmreviews.com

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.

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Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon – taking the Michael

S ir Michael Caine was on American television the other week, on the Charlie Rose Show, promoting his new book, The Elephant to Hollywood. It was very nice, if you like that sort of thing. He ran through the big films in his life. You can guess what they were, even if 10 is a stretch: Zulu, The Ipcress File, Alfie, The Italian Job, Sleuth, Get Carter, The Man Who Would Be King, Educating Rita, Hannah and Her Sisters, The Cider House Rules, The Quiet American … How many is that?

I'm sorry, but I'm a bit upset. You see, it's not the same any more. Just a few weeks earlier, on YouTube, I'd seen a clip from The Trip on BBC 2 in which Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon do competing Michael Caine impersonations . It's not that they're unkind about it. But, honestly, it's all over. You have to hope Sir Michael has got enough put by. All of a sudden you get it: he's been doing Michael Caine all along.

There he was on Charlie Rose blathering on about his "acting", the way he's been doing for years – about how if people watching him say, "Look at that Michael Caine," then he's a failure. But if they say, "How about that character?" then he's all right. And for a few years, maybe, you thought well perhaps there's something to it.

But apart from Carter and Alfie (who are easy), just name me a character Caine has played. You can't do it, can you? Because it's him all the time. Which I'm not against, because he's a decent chap. And if he wants to think that in The Quiet American, he sounded like a writer for the Times in Saigon in 1954, well bless his heart. He sounded like Michael Caine to me – and why not? He's been doing it for 50 years in so many bloody films and it's nice to see an old geezer keeping in work. But, please, can we do ourselves a favour? He's always Michael. And now I've seen these guys doing him, I really can't watch Caine pictures with a straight face. He's like the Queen: she does the Queen and he does Michael.

What upsets me is that it's acting that takes the hit. Now, I've had this creeping feeling for years that we're all actually worn out with acting – particularly the sincere thing.

When's the last time you saw an actor doing a strenuous bit of sincerity and you didn't start laughing? I know, it worked once upon a time – Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront, Robert De Niro in Raging Bull. Marvellous – right? Try looking at them again – it's close to ridiculous. Sincerity is vanishing, and I'm not sure that narrative can survive without it.

Of course, this isn't Caine's fault. It could happen to anyone that performance starts to look like a vehicle for imitation. Taking the Mickey, if you like, or a Caine mutiny where the public (especially the kids) see any piece of acting as a lark, a singalong, a kind of karaoke.

It's amazing how a clip on YouTube can open your eyes. I just saw the trailer for The Tourist. It looks as if it's trying to be rotten serious and it's directed by the man who made The Lives of Others – now, there was a heartbreaker, and not so long ago. But Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie in the trailer, they look like impersonators. The broken heart has become a Rubik's Cube. The movies are slipping away as we look, and you have to give Sir Michael his due. In his own casual way, he's a big part of the vanishing. Honest. He's not there. He never was, but now you know it.

• Michael Caine
• Steve Coogan

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Tracing the Evolution of Batman’s Alfred, From Clueless Sidekick to Special Forces Stud

Whenever Batman comes home from a night of bloody derring-do, he’s there, ready to sew up a few wounds, offer a pep talk, troubleshoot some weaponry, and fetch a hot cup of cocoa: Alfred Pennyworth, loyal valet (or, if we’re going to use expired British military terminology, Batman’s batman). He was written into the Wayne Manor household staff early on, in 1943, as an essentially comic character: the bumbling Brit. Over time, and through the various reboots detailed here, he was given more gravitas and a skill set that differs in many ways from, say, Carson’s on Downton Abbey but that comes in handy when your boss is a billionaire vigilante. Now he’s getting his own show on Epix, Pennyworth, which elaborates on his backstory. Showrunners Bruno Heller and Danny Cannon will offer up sexy tales of Alfred’s pre-buttling days as a member of the elite British Special Air Service.

Fat Alfred …

( Batman,  Vol. 1, No. 16)

In his debut, Alfred is a portly music-hall actor and aspiring detective who arrives in Gotham City intending to investigate the Batman phenomenon. His father, Jarvis, had been the Wayne-family butler. Alfred takes over the job and only by accident realizes whom he is actually working for.

… Goes on a Hollywood Diet

( Detective Comics,  Vol. 1, No. 83)

Batman  was a hit, and it turned into a movie serial. But William Austin, the actor cast as Alfred, was thin, which meant that comic-book Alfred was abruptly packed off to a health resort to reemerge as the trim gentleman he has remained to this day.

Fan-Fiction Author

( Batman,  Vol. 1, No. 135)

A wild adventure for the Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder is followed by the revelation that the whole thing was, bizarrely enough, just an imaginary tale written by none other than Alfred. What’s more, when Bruce Wayne catches him at the typewriter, he implies the guy has done this more than once. Trippy.

A Butler’s Death

( Detective Comics,  Vol. 1, No. 328)

While trying to save Batman and Robin, Alfred is crushed by a boulder.

Alfred: Resurrection

( Detective Comics,  Vol. 1, No. 356)

A long story line involving a shadowy mastermind named the Outsider reaches its climax when it’s revealed that he’s none other than a deranged Alfred, raised from the dead and granted superpowers by a mad scientist.

Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na, Butler!

(The first  Batman  TV show)

For the campy Adam West series, Alfred is played by the classically trained English actor Alan Napier, who initially found the role “the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard of.” Then he learned the contract could be worth more than $100,000. “So, I said I was Batman’s butler.”

His Secret-Agent Secret

( Detective Comics,  Vol. 1, No. 501)

So wait, why is Alfred always so good at sewing up wounds and defending himself? In this issue, his British-spy backstory is finally declassified for fans.

( Batman: Year One )

When the entire DC line got rebooted in the mid-1980s, Alfred was given a new and more psychologically complicated history with Bruce: He’d been working for the family since before Bruce’s parents were murdered, and then he guided the Batlad along his vigilante path.

Alfred Forever

( Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, Batman & Robin )

Michael Gough’s restrained and dignified blockbuster butler outlasted three Batmen: first Michael Keaton, then Val Kilmer, and finally George Clooney. He also starred in a Diet Coke  Batman  tie-in commercial.

The Millennial Icon

( Batman: The Animated Series )

This show began as a spinoff from  Batman Returns,  but the sardonic depiction of Alfred at the hands of character designer Bruce Timm and actor Efrem Zimbalist Jr. became a pop-culture touchstone. An even more chilled-out version of Austin’s rendition, but with 1940s serials nearly impossible to find in the ’90s, no kid was the wiser.

Alt A: Igor

( Batman: Castle of the Bat )

An alternate-universe story in which Bruce is a Victor Frankenstein–esque tinkerer who learns the hard way that man should not play God. His sniveling, hunchbacked assistant? Alfredo.

Alt B: Zombie

( League of Justice,  Vol. 1, No. 2)

This alternate-universe superhero riff on  Lord of the Rings  features a sequence in which a deceased Alfred returns as an undead wraith.

Alt C: Tycoon

(Tangent Comics,  Green Lantern , Vol. 1, No. 1)

In yet another alternate universe, Alfred isn’t a butler at all but rather a publishing mogul.

Doting Uncle

( Batman & Robin )

In this much-derided conclusion to the four-film  Batman  blockbuster cycle, Alfred is the uncle of Alicia Silverstone’s Batgirl. An electronic version of him makes a sexy costume for his niece and grins a little too hungrily when she puts it on.

Employee of the Year

( Batman: Crimson Mist )

In still another universe, Bruce is turned into a vampire and Alfred sacrifices himself and his blood to satisfy Batman’s urges.

Keeper of the Flame

(Birds of Prey)

The daughter of Batman and Catwoman picks up the Bat-mantle in Batsy’s absence with the assistance of an Alfred played by Ian Abercrombie. If he looks familiar, it may be because of his run as one of Elaine’s bosses on  Seinfeld.

Caine Is Able

(Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises )

Michael Caine gets fitted for the butler’s tux in Christopher Nolan’s Batman films, with iconic results: Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon famously lampooned him in  The Trip , and the scene in which he monologues about working for the British military in Burma became the subject of countless bizarre remixes on YouTube.

( Batman,  Vol. 1, No. 679)

As part of a story line called “Batman R.I.P.,” a baddie named Simon Hurt attempts to smear Alfred by telling the world that he had an affair with Martha Wayne and is Bruce’s true father. It doesn’t stick.

Kick-Ass Therapist

( Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? )

This out-of-continuity homage to all the eras of the Dark Knight, written by  American Gods  author Neil Gaiman, includes a story in which it’s revealed that Alfred orchestrated every fight Batman ever got into, out of a desire to help cheer up a depressed Bruce. Alfred himself even played the Joker!

Alt D: Superbutler

( Injustice: Gods Among Us,  Vol. 1, No. 36)

In one more alternate universe — where Superman goes rogue after the Joker kills Lois Lane — Alfred gains temporary superpowers and beats the crap out of Supes.

Biological Daddy

( Batman,  Vol. 2, No. 28)

This time, Alfred has a biracial daughter, Julia Pennyworth, who turns out to be a great addition to Batman’s team.

Cupcake Defender

One of the latest TV versions of the Bat-mythos takes place while Bruce is still a child. Sean Pertwee plays Alfred as a dude who can take on any threat, including a supervillain named Cupcake. (Look, it’s a weird show.)

Bitchy Butler

( Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League )

Zack Snyder’s superguy-on-superguy outing was poorly received, but one of its highlights is Jeremy Irons as the bitchiest Alfred to date, rolling his eyes and sarcastically lambasting Bruce for his failings. Irons returned for an even bigger bomb,  Justice League.

Try on the Cape

( Batman,  Vol. 3, No. 5)

After the latest Universal Comics reboot, a newly determined Batman assembles a wide array of allies to help him out. Alfred gets to dress up as Batman and drive the Batmobile. The mustache looks a smidge out of place under the cowl.

Pennyworth, Alfred Pennyworth

(Pennyworth)

But is becoming a high-end domestic a common career path for those who were formerly in the special forces?

*This article appears in the July 22, 2019, issue of  New York  Magazine  Subscribe Now!

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Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Dark Knight’ Trilogy is a cinematic gem that has made its place in the history of pop culture. Each film of the trilogy starring Christian Bale, Michael Caine , and Heath Ledger was explanatory as Nolan remained loyal to its source comic and perfectly matched the vibe of the characters.

With each’s directers take on the Batman movies, there followed different versions of Bruce Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth, but the most memorable remained Michael Caine’s version. As Michael Caine retires from Hollywood, here is the stroll down to the iconic dialogues of his memorable role as Alfred Pennyworth in the Batman movies.

Read also: Top 10 Christopher Nolan Movies According To Rotten Tomatoes

7. “You Start Pretending To Have Fun, You Might Even Have A Little By-Accident”

Alfred Pennyworth is anything close to a father Bruce Wayne could ever get. Alfred is often the wisest among the duo, he often delivers sensible advice helping Wayne adapt to his new responsibilities.

‘Batman Begins’ revolved around the origin story of Batman and the close relationship shared between Alfred and Bruce. When Bruce returns to Gotham and decides to continue his life as Batman, Alfred suggests he get involved with the outside world as well, just to throw people off guard. 

6. “Don’t Worry, Master Wayne. Takes A Little Time To Get Back In The Swing Of Things “

Alfred Pennyworth is known for his witty humor. He never hesitates to make fun of his master, especially when Bruce Wayne is stuck in a predicament. This particular quote comes up when Selina Kyle stole Wayne’s car claiming to be his wife.

Left stranded in the middle of nowhere, Bruce Wayne calls Alfred Butler to pick him up for the fundraiser. Alfred then happily makes fun of Bruce’s situation.

5. “And You Can Just Strap Up Your Leg And Put Your Mask On, But That Doesn’t Make You What You Were.”

Alfred Pennyworth is a savage man and isn’t afraid to voice out his opinion. When Gotham needed a messiah, Bruce took up the mantle of Batman. But unlike the earlier days, he has aged a lot.

Hence it was not possible for Bruce to go hand-to-hand combat with Bane considering his current state. Hence Pennyworth had to step in to give Bruce a reality check trying to make him understand that it’s not possible for him to just suit back up and pretend as nothing has changed considering his mental and physical health.

4. “They’ll Hate You For It, But That’s The Point Of Batman”

Not once, but numerous times Batman and Joker locked horns. But because of Batman’s no-kill rule, he would let go of Joker after putting up a tough fight. In ‘Dark Knight’ , Joker throws Batman in a very difficult situation asking him to unmask himself to stop deaths happening in the city.

While Bruce Wayne was put into a difficult dilemma, Alfred Pennyworth always came to his rescue. While Batman feels obliged to disclose his identity in order to save Gotham City, Alfred asks him not to do so and instead simply endure it.

Alfred says that Batman has the ability to make difficult choices and has to suffer more than an ordinary person. People might even hate him for it, but Batman should endure it because that’s the entire point of being Batman. 

In case you missed: 10 Absolutely Horrifying Batman Comics That Are Too Graphic And Dark To Be Made Into Movies

3. “Some Men Just Want To Watch The World Burn”

In a totally underrated opinion, Alfred Pennyworth might have been a secret protagonist in the Batman trilogy. The fans get a taste of Alfred’s immense life experiences when he a story from his past- the time when he was in Burma. It was about a bandit who had been throwing away precious gems.

As Bruce Wayne’s motive is clouded by mere judgment, he fails to understand his enemies. This particular line said by Michael Caine perfectly summarised the intention of Joker. Pennyworth understands the Joker better than Bruce because he knows that some men aren’t looking for anything logical, like money but only chaos. Unlike Bruce, Alfred understood the Joker’s madness. 

2. “Why Do We Fall, Sir? So That We Can Learn To Pick Ourselves Up”

How is it that Alfred Pennyworth always knows the right thing to say? This particular line is the most quoted line from ‘The Dark Knight Trilogy’ starring Maicel Kaine as Alfred Pennyworth.

When the Wayne mansion burns to the ground, Bruce feels like he has failed in his mission. He wasn’t able to save Gotham, including his own home. Alfred then gives the most fatherly advice hoping to get Bruce motivated. And Alfred believes in Bruce’s ability to get back up and continue the good fight.

1. “Things Always Get Worse Before They Get Better”

Alfred always has the right words to comfort Bruce Wayne in dire situations. In the Christopher Nolan movies, Rachel Dawes serves as a symbol of the normal life that Bruce must sacrifice to be Batman. It is Rachel’s death that inspired Bruce Wayne to take up the mantle of Batman. 

Alfred tries to point out how there was no point in reasoning it out that way. Alfred goes on to say that Batman did inspire good, but his harsh attack will result in gruesome consequences.

You would also like to read: Why Christopher Nolan Says No To Directing Superhero Films?

• Michael Caine

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Michael Caine Saw Something Special In His Dark Knight Trilogy Role

There are many things to admire about the " Dark Knight " trilogy. Director Christopher Nolan helped to redefine the cape crusader, introducing the character of Bruce Wayne to a whole new generation of audiences. Recreating critical aspects of the Batman mythos also meant reintroducing iconic side characters, like Bruce Wayne's butler and father figure, Alfred Pennyworth.

Nolan's trilogy of films characterized Batman and his gadgets in a much more grounded way than previous fantastical adaptations and set a precedent for the realism of comic book movies going forward. Michael Caine (who would go on to become a longtime collaborator of the director) played an instrumental part in that realism, acting like Q to Batman's James Bond .

 Alfred had always played a supporting role in the live-action "Batman" endeavors that Warner Brothers had released at that point, but none had carried the emotional weight Caine brought to the role. According to the actor, Alfred's role in the "Dark Knight" trilogy is special, helping to ground the larger-than-life world of Batman.

'The human representative'

In an interview with Female , Michael Caine discussed his portrayal of Alfred Pennyworth and how he represents the more humanistic side of Bruce Wayne:

"I thought it was great because the butler is the human representative of all of us in the middle of the movie with all these extraordinary characters, which is sort of a specialty of mine. I've always played very human sort of characters. So for me, that was great. And I'd never been in one of those great big blockbusters."

Besides being one of the most humanizing characters in the films, he's also Bruce's partner-in-crimefighting. "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight" both feature sequences that show Alfred helping Bruce with logistics for some of his biggest feats in the films.

Look no further than the sequence in "The Dark Knight" where Alfred helps Bruce get a pilot and an alibi for his trip to Hong Kong to kidnap mob accountant Lau, all while providing a history lesson on the Fulton surface-to-air recovery system. Alfred is a supporting player for most of these movies, but he is instrumental in advising Bruce and helping him in his outings as Batman .

Alfred's critical insight

More than just helping Bruce with the logistical aspects of being Batman, Caine's Alfred also helps Bruce deal with the psychological part of being the caped crusader. Several instances in the trilogy see Bruce coming to Alfred for guidance. Moreover, Alfred always had an anecdote to help both Bruce and the audience gain a better understanding of whatever villain Batman was facing at the time.

Perhaps one of the most famous instances of Alfred's wisdom comes in " The Dark Knight ," which sees Alfred have a better understanding of the Joker than Bruce does early on in the film. "Some men just want to watch the world burn" has become one of the staple quotes of the "Dark Knight" and the trilogy, with Michael Caine responsible for the incredible delivery. In this instance and many others throughout the trilogy, Caine brings an air of humility and wisdom while trying to keep Bruce Wayne level-headed.

Caine's Alfred almost always gave audiences critical insight into Batman or the villains when we needed it most. The actor's belief that his character is the human representative isn't far off, especially given that one of the last shots of the trilogy is him sharing one last glance with Bruce. It's a reminder for viewers of how big a part Alfred played in the films and Bruce's life.

Michael Caine

• View history

Sir Michael Caine , CBE , (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite ) is an English actor and author. He portrayed Alfred J. Pennyworth in Christopher Nolan 's Batman Begins , The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises . He is one of only five actors to appear in all three films.

Characters portrayed by Michael Caine in the Batman Universe [ ]

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Michael Caine says Christopher Nolan’s ‘Batman’ trilogy was “one of the greatest things I have done in my life”

Caine was surprised that he was asked to portray Alfred

Michael Caine has praised Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy , adding that his decision to portray Alfred Pennyworth was one of the best choices of his acting career.

The veteran actor, who celebrates his 87th birthday tomorrow (March 14), was discussing the trials of working as an elderly actor when he came to reflect on his role in Nolan’s DC trilogy.

Read more: Christopher Nolan’s new film ‘Tenet’ – release date, plot details, cast and everything we know so far

Speaking to The Hindu, Caine recalled the first time he met Nolan. “He came to the front door of my house in the country with a script. I could see him through the glass but I couldn’t recognise him. The moment he introduced himself, I knew exactly who he was because I was a great fan of his three small films.”

Caine added that he was surprised when the director and screenwriter asked him to portray Alfred in the Batman films. “I told him, ‘I am too old for Batman. Do you want me to play the butler? What would my dialogues be? Would you like another beverage or more custard?’”

Nolan then explained that he regarded Alfred’s character as more than a butler; that he was “the foster-father of Batman”.

Caine said: “So, I did the movie and it was one of the greatest things I have done in my life.”

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The actor was speaking to the publication ahead of the release of Tenet , the Nolan-directed time-travelling epic that arrives in July , which Caine also stars in.

“He [Nolan] is so secretive he won’t let me have the script,” Caine revealed, explaining that he doesn’t know much about the film he’s in. “All I had was one day’s work and he gave me my pages. I did my part and shot only with John David. I haven’t heard anything since.”

In other news, Matt Reeves, the director of the forthcoming Robert Pattinson-starring The Batman has unveiled the first look at the Batmobile .

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Michael Caine On The "Cafe Scene" From TDKR; Says He's Up For JUSTICE LEAGUE

How exactly Bruce Wayne's old butler would fit into the planned DC superhero team up flick is anyone's guess, but Caine certainly sounds like he'd be up for it if asked. He also comments on whether or not what Alfred sees in his final scene from TDKR was real or imagined..

"They were there. They were real. There was no imagination. They were real and he was with Anne, the cat lady, and I was happy ever after for him as I told him during the picture."

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How Christopher Nolan Convinced Michael Caine To Play Alfred In Batman

After his portrayal of Alfred in the Dark Knight films, Michael Caine shares how Christopher Nolan convinced him to play the Batman role.

Michael Caine's Alfred brought a lot of emotional weight to The Dark Knight trilogy . Now, the veteran Oscar-winning actor has explained how he was convinced by Christopher Nolan to take on the iconic Batman role.

The Dark Knight trilogy became a critical and box office success (collectively grossing over $2.4 billion), and those Batman films are now regarded as one of the greatest trilogies in film history that also redefined the superhero genre. A large portion of the Dark Knight praise goes towards the performances and the talented actors who filled the roles. Out of all of the characters, there was one who became almost the heart and soul of the whole trilogy: Alfred.

RELATED: The Batman Can Improve On The Dark Knight Trilogy In One Big Way

In a Q&A with Variety, Caine opened up about the first time he met Nolan, and how the acclaimed director convinced him the role of Alfred would not be a forgettable one. After a simple knock on the door from Nolan, Cain recalled "standing there with a script in his hand and he said he was a director of movies. He said, 'Can I come in?' And he said to me, 'I want you to play the butler in 'Batman.' So, I said, 'The butler? What do I say, 'Dinner is served?' He said no, he was the godfather of Batman and it's a much bigger part." Caine said that was the first thing he remembered about Nolan.

And Nolan was right. Caine's Alfred became almost like a central character in the trilogy, having far more character depth than any past Alfred depictions. The father-figure role he had on Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne/Batman and the loyalty and mentorship he brought created some of the most emotional scenes in the trilogy that immediately became loved by fans. The character first made his leap from comic books to the big screen in Adam West's 1966 Batman , in which he was portrayed by Alan Napier. Alfred continued through Tim Burton's 1989 Batman and 1992 Batman Returns , this time with Michael Gough offering his take on the role. Following The Dark Knight trilogy, Jeremy Irons took over the role in DCEU universe, first appearing in 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice , and now Andy Serkis will play the character in Matt Reeves' highly anticipated The Batman (separate from other DCEU films), which will make its way to theatres in 2022.

Caine added that playing Alfred was "absolutely fantastic" and that Nolan's expertise in filmmaking helped build and shape the role. "The thing about Nolan is you don't always know what's going on in the scene," Caine told Variety. "And you ask him, and he says, 'I'll tell you after you've done it.'" Batman Begins marked the start of a new film duo, as Caine has now been a part of every one of Nolan's unique, complex movies since.

Fans can catch Caine in Nolan's most recent film Tenet , a mind-bending espionage thriller that also stars John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Kenneth Branagh, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Nolan, in the meantime, has stepped away from Batman and DC films altogether.

The Dark Knight trilogy is now available on HBO Max.

MORE: Is Denis Villeneuve Surpassing Christopher Nolan?

Source: Variety

Screen Rant

How christopher nolan asked michael caine to play alfred in batman movies.

Michael Caine recalls how writer/director Christopher Nolan asked him to play Alfred Pennyworth in 2005’s Batman Begins and its sequels.

Michael Caine recalls how Christopher Nolan asked him to play Alfred Pennyworth in 2005’s  Batman Begins  and its sequels,  The Dark Knight  (2008) and  The Dark Knight Rises  (2012). Following campy outings like Joel Schumacher’s  Batman & Robin  (1997), Nolan’s  Batman Begins  brought the caped crusader into the 21st century with a grounded story and a slew of committed performances.  The Dark Knight  trilogy is hailed as one of cinema’s best and is credited with revolutionizing the superhero genre due in no small part to Caine’s performance as Bruce Wayne’s iconic butler, Alfred .

Caine’s Alfred is arguably the heart of  The Dark Knight  trilogy , serving as a father figure/mentor to Christian Bale’s Bruce and having far more depth than any of the butler's previous big-screen depictions. In addition to the aforementioned trilogy, Caine has starred in every Nolan film since  Batman Begins besides 2017's  Dunkirk (although his voice can be heard at the beginning of the movie), including  The Prestige  (2006),  Inception  (2010),  Interstellar  (2014), and  Tenet  (2020). Now, the Oscar-winning actor has explained how Nolan first asked Caine to work with him.

Related: Pennyworth Embraces Michael Caine's Alfred Backstory

Speaking with  Variety , Caine recalled the first time he met Nolan, and how the acclaimed writer/director asked him to play Alfred. Nolan visited Caine to convince him that playing a butler meant more than saying “dinner is served.” Read the whole story below:

“I have a country house and I was there on a Sunday and the doorbell rang and I was near it so I answered it. And there was a man standing there with a script in his hand and he said he was a director of movies. He said, ‘Can I come in?’ And he said to me, ‘I want you to play the butler in ‘Batman.’ So I said, ‘The butler? What do I say, ‘Dinner is served?’ He said no, he was the godfather of Batman and it’s a much bigger part. That was the first thing I remembered about Christopher Nolan. And playing the movie was absolutely fantastic. The thing about Nolan is you don’t always know what’s going on in the scene, as an actor. And you ask him and he says, ‘I’ll tell you after you’ve done it.’”

Having appeared in over 130 films , Caine wasn’t exactly a struggling actor when being cast in Batman Begins . Still, Alfred has proven a definitive role. Compared to portrayals alongside Adam West, Michael Keaton, and Ben Affleck’s Batmen, Caine’s Alfred to Bale’s Batman is easily the most beloved duo. Following the end of Nolan’s trilogy and Warner Bros.’s launch of the DC Extended Universe, one could argue Jeremy Irons’s take on the character had potential. However, WB/DC Films’ abandonment of the Snyder-Verse has largely left “Batfleck” and, in turn, Irons’s Alfred unexplored. Among casual moviegoers, it’s not a stretch to say that Caine has become synonymous with the character of Alfred Pennyworth.

At 88 years old, Caine is still going strong. He’s currently promoting Lina Roessler’s  Best Sellers  and is set to star in upcoming films such as  Medieval ,  The Great Escaper , and  Now You See Me 3 . He’s poised to remain one of the most recognizable and revered faces in cinema, and someone we’ll always remember as  Batman Begins ’s righteous mentor who reminds us why we fall. It’s hard to imagine Nolan showing up at someone else's door.

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Source: Variety