Things haven’t gone too well for David Brent (Ricky Gervais) even by the standard of the last time we saw him on THE OFFICE. Now he’s just a guy and not the boss, no one is obliged to put up with his rubbish anymore. In LIFE ON THE ROAD he’s the most tragic he’s ever been; just as inappropriate and blind to the discomfort of others as ever, but now chucking every penny to his name at a rock tour that doesn’t leave Berkshire. The songs are just bad enough to be comic songs, but well performed enough to be conceivably real. This line is exploited wonderfully in a coda at the end that establishes which real pop star Foregone Conclusion ended up performing with after Brent (mild spoiler) returns to his office job. The film admittedly sags at points, but the cringe-factor is still there and even after all these years you love to hate spending more time in this sad little man’s company. SSP