3 Ups And 2 Downs From David Brent: Life On The Road

The Ups:

3. It's Intentionally Depressing

There's something kind of sad about resurrecting David Brent in 2016, thirteen years after he was last relevant, and that's something the film really plays with. This is set-up as a follow-up to The Office, in-universe one of the break-out reality shows, and we get plenty of jokey acknowledgement of that - a radio show presented by Kevin Bishop even drops a reference - but as things wear on the futility of the endeavour becomes clear.

Those close to Brent worry if this is good for his mental state, but everyone else seems happy to take the incredulous payday the exposure offers or outwardly rip into him. It starts off a slightly more extreme version of Tim's stares to the camera, but after an hour of it something dawns on you; as an audience we're just a bad, laughing at a man who's completely lost himself in an unrestrained ego.

Things get really rather depressing, seeing Brent obliviously reduced to a patsy, and while the jokes keep coming, they're tinged with meanness and you really don't want to laugh. It's a deft tonal shift that ties in with and addresses many fan's fears for the film.