Like the original mould-breaking TV show of The Office, this long-rumoured follow-up will be divisive, delighting fans who 'get it' and proving painfully unfunny to viewers who do not. The movie cleverly updates the fly-on-the-wall look at the modern workplace with an even less tolerant and more mean-spirited office than Brent's old stamping ground, but then takes us on the ill-fated, self-funded 'tour' that manages to plumb even greater depths of cringeworthy embarrassment and provides many awkward laughs along the way (his song for the disabled is extraordinary), as Brent becomes increasingly desperate for the attention of a record company and even of his own band members. It is a shame that more time is not given to banter between Gervais and Doc Brown (Brent's band Foregone Conclusion's rapper) as they make a terrific on-screen pairing. The style, writing and performances are consistently strong across the movie, and as ever, Gervais finds the humanity of these people with the surprisingly heartfelt closing scenes, making this resurrection enterprise worthwhile, effective and enjoyable.
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