Ricky Gervais: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

5 That Sucked:

5. Len Taylor - Cemetery Junction

I quite liked Cemetery Junction, the only feature project from Gervais and Merchant. It’s obviously written, sure, but it's still quite an affecting coming-of-age tale imbued with the heart of its creators and makes great use of period music.

Where it falls down is the rest of the replication of the period - this doesn’t feel like suburban Reading circa 1973 at all. And nowhere is this best seen in the gross miscasting of Gervais as lead Freddy’s father. He’s not the working schmoe he’s alleged to be and his careless barbs are at least two decades away from being genuine. It's really just a cameo, but that doesn't make it any less irritating, especially as it's meant to represent the monotony the hero's escaping from.

It’s either egotistical casting or a lazy performance. Probably both.