Ironically enough, the music is probably the best aspect of this film. The soundtrack has already climbed to the number 3 position in the UK charts, and it's easy to see why. In an era where The Lonely Island (whose own biographical flick dropped in UK cinemas earlier this week to lukewarm reviews) can sell millions of records with their distinct brand of musical comedy, it's not a stretch to imagine that Gervais could have a rather successful career in this field if he followed a similar path. His bands songs (particularly "Please Don't Make Fun of the Disableds" and "Don't Cry It's Christmas") had me absolutely floored due to their very politically incorrect lyrics and cooky melodic beats. Also great is Ricky Gervais, who once again nails the character of Brent. Having gone back and watched The Office UK after seeing this film, I can see that Gervais has definitely added an extra layer of pitifulness to Brent that wasn't there before, and it actually gives another interesting wrinkle to this character. On one hand he is annoying and delusional, but on the other he is just rather sad and lonely and as the story progresses we as an audience stop laughing at Brent and begin to sympathise with him. There is actually a really lovely moment towards the film's end where Brent's band buy him a pint after the tours final gig and the look of sheer agonising joy in Gervais' eyes at this moment show how talented a dramatic actor he can be when called upon. The supporting players all do a good job in their respective roles, but Gervais is this film's life blood and commands your attention every single time he is on screen.
The biggest issue I had with David Brent: Life on the Road is that it felt like a TV movie. Personally, I would have rather seen this released in a few parts on BBC One or one of its sister channels, due to the somewhat repetitive beats that the comedy tries to hit and the documentary style of filmmaking involved. "Mockumentaries" are hard to get right in a big-screen format, and while I would say that this film does do a very admirable job, it is still hard to tell a satisfying story in this genre in 120 minutes or less. As a result, the conclusion feels rushed and certain plot developments are unearned, causing this effort to slip into the same "so-so" territory of many of its fellow summer-comedy offerings. Also, many of the characters from Brent's new "office" had no business being there, and their inclusion hurt the already slow pacing of this otherwise-competent comedy romp.
Overall, David Brent: Life on the Road is a fun comedy film that left myself and the friends who accompanied me to see it in stitches. Ricky Gervais is excellent, and some of the songs will leave you gasping for breath. It is very bleak and the humour is dryer than the hottest parts of Nevada, so if this type of comedy isn't for you then I would avoid Life on the Road like the plague. Yet, if this is your thing, I would give this film a chance as it is well-worth the price of admission despite its flaws. In saying this, if you don't have time to make it to the cinema to see this flick, just download the soundtrack. It's so bad it's good.
Score: 7.3/10
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