WRITTEN by Ricky Gervais. Produced by Ricky Gervais. Directed by Ricky Gervais. Starring Ricky Gervais. Looks like a Ricky Gervais vanity, wouldn’t you think? But there’s more to “David Brent – Life on the Road” than Ricky Gervais’ need to be loved, respected and admired.

The lead character from TV’s “The Office”, now a sales rep for a company making bathroom products, from tampons to toilet brushes, sees himself as a guitarist, singer and songwriter. He’s taking three weeks off work to tour with a four-man group (who really do know how to play), a sound guy and a roadie who doubles as backing singer and rapper.

The tour starts at Slough. That’s a British in-joke. Only Slough residents don’t enjoy it.

David’s picking up the whole tab, from the camera crew he’s engaged to make the documentary about the tour to the bus from which the other members of the group have found a reason to ban him, to paying the team musos’ rates to sit with him in the bar after the show. The audiences are miniscule. Two chubby women come up to his hotel room, drink the mini-bar dry and make him sleep on the divan.

And through it all, David’s optimism is unbreakable. It is impossible to like him. It is impossible to pity him. He’s a dill. Yet it’s also impossible to hate him or not to have some sympathy for his complete lack of self-awareness. While watching his movie is undoubtedly a painful experience, it offers an interesting view of a little bloke with an idiotic giggle and an impossible dream.

At all cinemas