FILM REVIEW: David Brent '“ Life on The Road

This feature-length movie dedicated to Ricky Gervais' iconic character is surprisingly inconsistent fare '“ ultimately saved by half a dozen stand-out comedic moments, writes Gavin Miller.

The camera crew that helped make David Brent a minor celebrity in the early ‘noughties’ with the hit BBC series documentary The Office are here shadowing the now stationery supplies salesman as he tries to make it as a rock star.

While also managing aspiring rapper Dom Johnson – who unbeknown to Brent is potentially the best thing in the band – Brent takes ‘time out’ from his job, hires an expensive road manager, pieces together his band Foregone Conclusion, and organises a tour across Berkshire paying all expenses (which rack up to more than 20 grand) along the way.

In the film’s weaker moments it looks like Gervais’ character’s trademark characteristics are ‘dragged out’ as the premise is padded to the max, but if you’re a fan of the delusional wannabe rocker it will just about satisfy.

Despite some of the ‘near the knuckle’ jokes the movie is saved by a handful of eye-watering belly-laughs, usually seen with Brent’s lyrics to his self-penned songs.

But those few sequences aside, it does have a slight lack of ingenuity from the controversial regular Golden Globe awards host – and doesn’t stand out in the same way as Steve Coogan’s Alan Partridge did in Alpha Papa three years ago.

Fortunately, when the laughs do arrive though, they’re bordering on comedy ‘gold’.

Rating: Three stars

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