David Brent: Life on the Road

Not bad per se, but not a scratch on the seminal work in The Office.

Premise:  Fifteen years after appearing on the BBC “documentary” ‘The Office’, David Brent (Ricky Gervais) agrees to appear in another “documentary” following him as he takes time off from his job as a sale rep to form a rock band and go on tour.

Verdict:

Sometimes less is more, and while Life on the Road is a perfectly acceptable mockumentary comedy, it’s simply not a scratch on its predecessor, the era-defining TV-series The Office.

In fact, looking at Ricky Gervais’ solo output (namely this film, The Invention of Lying (2009) and Derek (2012-2014)), in comparison to his work with co-creator and co-writer Stephen Merchant (namely The Office (2001-2003), Extras (2005-2007), Cemetery Junction (2010) and Life’s Too Short (2011-2013)), it’s difficult to avoid coming to the conclusion that Stephen Merchant may have been responsible for adding much of the subtleness and nuance that made their work together so memorable.

“…beats you around the head with its moral messages…”

Ultimately, it’s not that Life on the Road, The Invention of Lying or Derek are bad, or that they’re not funny – it’s just that they kind of beat you around the head with their moral messages.  In Life on the Road, David Brent spends the entire film chasing fame in the hope that it will make him popular, before learning that the kind of people who like you just because you’re famous aren’t your real friends.  This was pretty much exactly the same message as that delivered in the finale of Extras, except in that show the message was presented with pathos and subtly, whereas in Life on the Road the subtext becomes text, and someone actually sits David Brent down and gives him the message straight to his face.

The Office had a nigh-on perfect send off with its Christmas specials in 2003, and David Brent learned in that finale that people would like him for him if he just didn’t try so hard to be something he isn’t.  Yet that epiphany seems to have been forgotten by the time this film starts, as David Brent needs to learn this lesson all over again.  And while the idea of David Brent living out his rock-star fantasies on a part-time basis by latching onto rapper Dom Johnson (Ben Bailey Smith aka Doc Brown) was great material for the 10-minute Comic Relief sketch in 2013, it’s stretched thin over this film’s 95-minute run-time.

“…worth a watch for curiosity value alone…”

The whole film feels like a weaker copy of Ricky Gervais’ past glories – the scenes with David Brent’s new work colleagues are pale imitations of the dynamics from The Office, while the messages about the emptiness of chasing fame echo Extras, and the overtly sentimental tone brings to mind Derek.  Indeed, while David Brent has always been a tragic comedy character, he’s never been more pitiable than he is here, and for a “comedy”, Life on the Road is borderline depressing in places.

Life on the Road is certainly worth a watch for curiosity value alone – but when you’re done, the lasting impression may simply be an urge to re-watch The Office again.