David Brent: Life on the Road | |
---|---|
Directed by | Ricky Gervais |
Produced by | Ricky Gervais Charlie Hanson |
Written by | Ricky Gervais |
Starring |
|
Cinematography | Remi Adefarasin |
Production
company |
|
Distributed by | Entertainment One |
Release date
|
|
Running time
|
96 minutes |
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
Box office | $5,511,343 |
David Brent: Life on the Road is a 2016 British mockumentary comedy film written, directed, and produced by Ricky Gervais and released by Entertainment One. The film stars Gervais as David Brent, a character he played in the BBC television comedy series The Office, who has a film crew that shadows Brent as he travels up and down the country living his dream of being a rock star. Gervais said, "This film delves much more into his private life than The Office ever did and we really get to peel back the layers of this extraordinary, ordinary man." He has emphasised that it is "not an Office film".
The film was released on 19 August 2016 in the UK by Entertainment One.
Fifteen years after his appearance in the BBC2 "documentary" series The Office, David Brent is a sales rep for bathroom supply firm Lavichem. His colleagues include his nemesis, Jezza, who cannot stand Brent or his jokes; however, he gets a more sympathetic response from colleague Pauline and receptionist Karen, and shares the same sense of humour as fellow sales rep Nigel.
Desperate to resume his music career and sign a record deal, Brent takes a month of unpaid leave and uses money from his pension to pay his fellow band members (Foregone Conclusion), his rapper friend Dom, Dan the sound engineer (whom he boldly offers double what he earns at the studio), a PR consultant, and many other costs, to arrange a tour of venues around Berkshire.
As the tour wears on, the band and crew refuse to socialise with Brent (unless he pays them to do so), and even make him drive behind the tour bus claiming there is no room for him. When Brent finally manages to convince a record company rep to attend a show, they are more interested in Dom's rapping than Brent's music. As the costs of the tour spiral out of control, sound engineer Dan confronts a dejected Brent, telling him to stop wasting his money. The band plays one final show, and then willingly join Brent for a drink.
Brent returns to Lavichem to the delight of Pauline, Karen and Nigel. Pauline asks him to take her out for a coffee and she takes his hand as they head out.
Gervais announced that he will release the film's soundtrack album under Brent's recording label Juxtaposition Records. He finished writing the songs for the film in November 2014.