David Brent: Life On The Road

This review may contain spoilers!

One of the most cringeworthy comedies of the year. I would give David Brent: Life On The Road a 4/10.

This film hits a few strong comedic points which really allows Gervais to show off his talent; there is no doubt the film thrives on awkward humour. Beyond some of the strong moments of comedy what this film provides is a sort of poignant reflection upon the character of David Brent, you certainly sympathise with him quite a bit by the end of the film. The soundtrack throughout this film is pretty well picked out, though the use of Gervais delivering his own comedic lyrics is even better.

Mandeep Dhillon, who played Karen Parashar, was one of the more charismatic characters of the film; Dhillon had a few good scenes where her empathy for Gervais or her sticking up for Bennett made her performance stand out. Jo Hartley, who played Pauline Gray, was a rather timid role who I actually thought came across as quite sweet; her stand off with Brooke's role at the end of the film is one of the most satisfying scenes. Tom Basden, who played Dan Harvey, was a fairly abrasive character throughout the film; however there's a moment of empathy near the end of the film that really makes you see his role in a different light.

However the best performance came from Ricky Gervais, who played David Brent. Gervais wrote this film with himself literally playing the title character and for what it's worth he really carries the film. If ever you're laughing in this film or feeling sympathetic towards Brent then that is because Gervais has pulled that emotion out of you. His awkward, babbling role goes on a journey of self-discovery and if nothing else Gervais really commits.

This film is yet another indicator of what works well in a TV show not working out so well upon the big screen. While this film has some comic highs these are few and far between, most of the jokes fall flat or go a bit too far. The story around Brent being a social outcast essentially polarises him to the viewer as well, seeing scenes where he pays people to spend time with him or lures women to his room through his mini bar gets pretty cringeworthy. The cinematography that made The Office so famous feels out of date on the big screen, it's a style seen so often before that you find the film visually unappealing. The editing was another serious flaw and created pacing issues for the film itself, shots tended to drag on for way too long.

Abbie Murphy, who played Serena Wilson, made a comment about being typecast as the 'bitch' during the film and that's exactly what happened; Murphy certainly didn't provide any more depth to the role than that. Andrew Brooke, who played Jerry 'Jezza' Collins, was a real blockhead role; he just shouted and antagonised characters aimlessly which got a bit dull to watch. Miles Chapman, who played Andy Chapman, was a rather boring business role; Chapman was possibly one character too many in the office scenes. Tom Bennett, who played Nigel Martin, just wasn't as funny as Gervais in their scenes together; he certainly attempted to rise to Gervais presence but ultimately just wound up in his shadow. Doc Brown, who played Dom Johnson, was a rather neutral role that never really rose to much; ultimately he was just in this film so Gervais could have an avenue for racist jokes. Andy Burrows, Steve Clarke, Michael Clarke and Stuart Wilkinson, who played Foregone Conclusion's Drummer, Bassist, Keyboard Player and Guitarist respectively, all wound up falling into the backdrop in this film; their roles revolved around avoiding Gervais so that took away their opportunity to stand out. Nina Sosanya, who played Dr Vivienne Keating, was a rather uninteresting minor role; she tended towards the stereotypical in her performance which resulted in a pretty throwaway scene. Diane Morgan, who played Briony Jones, was a minor role that was introduced way too late into the film; Morgan just wasn't funny and ultimately set up a rather weak punch line. Ashley McGuire and Roisin Conaty, who played Mo and Cat respectively, gave one of the most cringeworthy scenes of the film; what we got from this pair was just an odd and disgusting scene of courtship. Alexander Arnold, who played Pog, was a rather bland performance; he delivered lines in such a stiff way.