David Brent: Life on the Road

In common with a lot of people in the UK I was a big fan of the office TV series which aired over 10 years ago. The return of David Brent should have been something that was exciting and yet even before seeing the film there seemed to be an inevitable anti climax looming. Firstly it wasn't clear why the format should move from the small screen to the big screen. Secondly the Office worked because of the supporting cast, so could David Brent hold up a movie on his own.

The movie catches up with David Brent still dreaming about a musical career. He's left management behind and is now on the office floor with mixed popularity with the rest of the office. He decides to hire a backing group and go for a tour in his holidays to finally make the big break in music.

People familiar with the Office will not be surprised to find that Brent hasn't changed too much over the years. The humour hasn't really dated very well though, although there are a few very funny scenes mixed with a few cringe worthy moments.

The backing cast are OK, but not as integral to the movie as the cast were to the Office. The running time seems a little long and the 2 concerns prior to the movie came to fruition. This felt like a decent 50 minute TV special rather than a big screen movie. Even fans of the office are probably better off skipping the movie and waiting for it to appear on the small screen. It certainly will not lose anything on the small screen.

Continuing his unique brand of horribly awkward humour that made The Office such a success (with remakes in the USA, France, Germany, Canada, Chile, Sweden, and Israel), Ricky Gervais resurrects the phenomenon that is David Brent, idiosyncrasies and all. Following on from the Christmas specials, the hapless eponymous character is still a sales rep for a cleaning supplies company, yet still harbours dreams of going on tour with his band, a resurrected Foregone Conclusion.

This film feels a little unnecessary, but that certainly doesn't detract from its enjoyment levels. After the perfect ending given to us by the Christmas specials back in 2003, the character was at peace and it felt like he had achieved some sort of catharsis. Nonetheless, this is premium Gervais - it probably helps that I binge watched all of The Office in the week before watching this, so was in a real Office-y mood. The humour is on point, from Brent's tics (the perfectly judged nervous laugh, the shifty grins to the camera) to his own form of inadvertently offending people. There's a good amount of pathos, too, with Brent really sinking to new lows over the course of the film. The plot is well-suited to the character, and another highlight is the songs - the standout being 'Please Don't Make Fun of the Disabled' - which are just hilarious when delivered by Gervais.

Ultimately, though, it won't stick in the memory for long and it didn't need to be made - nor are the side characters as compelling as the likes of Tim Canterbury, Gareth Keenan, Dawn Tinsley, and Keith Bishop. It also feels a little sweetened and watered down at times, especially towards the end. It feels a little too perfect and not bittersweet enough. Still, an enjoyable 90 minute diversion for any Office fan, and good fun. 66/100.

I liked this comedy and i find it sad that many people are bashing it. It has many funny moments throughout and it is also giving a message at the same time. Probably those who didn't like it were comparing it to the Office and there are similarities of course but this is different it is a movie and it is a romantic comedy actually. I do recommend it especially for people who like Ricky and his style it's all there all what you need to get the best of him. Even the songs are nice and catchy.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, many funny moments.

My wife wasn't as enthusiastic and when i asked her why she said she was cringing because of the awkward moments brought on by Ricky's character...David Brent.

The only thing Ricky Gervais has in common with other British comedians is that they love to laugh at themselves...make a goose of themselves....e.g John Cleese...Apart from that he is definitely one of a kind.

The humour is an extension of his character in "The Office", if you liked this series then you will get the humour and will enjoy this movie.

The plot centre's around David wanting to have a shot at fame and self finances a thrown together band and books a week's worth of venues. Barely anyone turns up and even his own band doesn't like him.

The plot is OK...You can tell that David Brant despite all the 'foot in mouth' moments is a genuine tryer and does garner some sympathy towards the end of the movie. its apparent the humour does disguise an individual seeking acceptance and genuine friends.

I had many good laughs - an easy 8/10 for me...

Ricky Gervais. Chances are you'll either love him or hate him. And, basically, your enjoyment of his latest film 'David Brent: Life on the Road' will largely depend on whether you're a fan, or find him excruciatingly annoying. Like most people, they 'found' Gervais during his award-winning BBC sitcom 'The Office' where he played the self-proclaimed 'chilled out entertainer' David Brent (or 'boss from hell' as the rest of the world referred to him as). So, if you're a fan of either the character, or the cringe-worthy humour he specialises in.

There's always that worry when a good show which is usually half an hour is suddenly dragged out for a feature length movie's runtime that it's going to dip in places and fall flat in others. I'm pleased to say that 'David Brent: Life on the Road' does not suffer from this (too much). Yes, I loved The Office and have followed Gervais' career ever since, so I was crossing my fingers for the best. This film does deliver. It serves as a 'sequel' to the part of The Office which was about Brent's life. If you watched the series then you'll know about his dreams and aspirations to become more than the manager of a paper merchant in Slough.

'The Office' was a 'mockumentary' about the life of the workers in Slough and now we have follow-up documentary about – arguably – the 'star' of the fictional show 'David Brent.' We meet him now after he's long since left Wernom Hogg and is now a – much ridiculed – sales rep who travels up and down the country peddling his less-than-necessary wares. However, he still dreams of becoming the next big thing in music and, rather than go on X-Factor as most people who share his ideals seem to, has sunk all his life savings into promoting his own musical band.

What we see is a depressing take on humanity's desire for fame without the talent to back it up. Gervais has already (majorly!) touched on these subjects in his other TV show 'Extras,' but we witness a man who is more ambition than talent. He won't accept that he'll never have the fame and fortune he craves and, even when it's staring him in the face, he will adjust his perception of reality to suit the situation. What we get out of it is the knowing that he'll never be what he wants and, despite probably not wanting to associate with a man like this, we can't quite bring ourselves to hate him because we know that he'll never achieve or 'win' the fame and adulation he craves.

'David Brent: Life on the Road' is a good little compendium piece to 'The Office.' I guess it is a little stretched and sometimes it feels like there should be one or two jokes more than there is, but, overall, it stands up on its own. Sometimes there are more heart-wrenching moments than laughs, but they add depth to the film and make it a little deeper than a straight-up comedy.

Many people have moaned that there are no other 'Office' characters in it from the British version, but the new characters we meet along the way should – slightly – make up for that. I'm sure we've met one or two of them in offices up and down the country from time to time.

Not as good as The Office, but, then again, what is? Still solid. Maybe a feature length Extras next?