THE BOOK OF MORMON - musical theatre

Have you ever wondered what happens if there's a medical emergency in the audience in the middle of a musical theatre show? Read on to find out.

The Book of Mormon is a satirical musical theatre production currently playing in Melbourne off the back of award-winning seasons on Broadway (US) and the West End (UK). It's written by the blokes behind the controversial animated TV show South Park and, surprise, takes the piss out of the Mormon religion.

We follow Elder Cunningham and Elder Price (American Mormons) on their missionary journey to Uganda where their resolve is tested in all kinds of amusing ways.

This show is hilarious and so, so well done! I heard lots of reviews saying that it's very offensive and not for the faint-hearted and that's certainly true but I think I was expecting it to be even worse than it was! 

Going to the theatre in Australia is an expensive undertaking but if you can afford it, definitely scrape together the cash to see this one. You will have a fantastic night!

Now back to that medical emergency question... in the middle of one of the big musical numbers, suddenly a big group in the audience right near the front of the stage stood up and there was yelling. Due to the volume of the song being performed it was hard to tell what exactly was being said. At first I thought it was part of the show and they had planted protesters or something in the crowd but it soon became clear that wasn't what was going on and someone was in strife. Staff cottoned on and came running but the seats are all so close together at The Princess Theatre that they couldn't get to the person right away. So people were standing up trying to get out of the way and many trying to help etc. It turns out the old saying "the show must go on" is true, because the performers just kept going but it was clear that some of them at least were understandably distracted. They did stop the show at the end of that musical number but by then the unwell person had been taken outside of the theatre anyway, so it was only a brief pause. So there you go. It was a bit hot in the theatre (dress light if you go) so if you were feeling faint that might have done you in... here's hoping that's all it was and the person has fully recovered.

If you'd like to read more, in the form of a proper critique, check out this five star review in The Age.

* Photo from artsreview.com.au by Jeff Busby

JASPER JONES - film

Based on a popular novel of the same name, Jasper Jones is an Australian film that's part coming of age and part murder mystery.

I thought it was fantastic and would definitely recommend it.

Charlie Bucktin (Levi Miller) is a 14 year old boy living in a small WA town and one night a tap on his bedroom window from Jasper Jones (Aaron McGrath) sets him on a strange path of helping to solve a local mystery. All eyes are on "Mad Jack Lionel" (Hugo Weaving) as the guilty party but of course things are never that simple. Some of you may have seen Weaving on the publicity for this trail for this film so I'll warn you, if you're expecting to see a lot of him you'll be disappointed. He's great of course but actually doesn't have that much screen time.

Charlie's friend Jeffery Lu (Kevin Long) gets a bit more screen time and every moment of it is a pleasure to watch. Well, HE is a pleasure to watch - his storyline in unfortunately one that reminds us how racist a place Australia can be. Charlie's parents are played by Toni Collette and Dan Wylie and they're both superb in this. Collette's storyline is a bit more meaty than Wylie's and gives her the chance to knock it out the ballpark.

Given the whole mystery thing I won't elaborate on the story but to summarise, I really enjoyed this film and would happily recommend it.

Here's a four star review from Daily Review if you'd like to read more. I don't do star ratings but this is probably what I'd give it too.

Big thanks to Kris and the team at the beautiful Sun Theatre in Yarraville for having me at their special preview screening with Q&A. You should definitely catch Jasper Jones at The Sun if you're in the western part of Melbourne!

Trailer here. In cinemas Thursday 2 March.

HIDDEN FIGURES - film

This American drama is based on a true story and a book of the same name. It's about three female African American mathematicians who work at NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) in the 1960s, a time when black people and especially black women faced significant discrimination.

I really enjoyed this film a lot. Despite there being some uncomfortable racism and sexism on display (some dished up by a head engineer played by Jim Parsons of Big Bang Theory fame... Noooooo, Sheldon!) this is ultimately a heartwarming, feel good film.

The actresses who play the three women, Taraji P Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae, all give wonderful performances, with Spencer nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her trouble. Hidden Figures is also nominated in the Best Picture category of the Oscars. For what it's worth, I'd be really surprised if it wins but the fact that it's a nominee speaks volumes.

The friend I saw it with said she "really liked it but didn't love, love, love it". She described it as "sweet" and noted that she cried three or four times but said it's "no comparison to Manchester By The Sea" which she loved and is also nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. She also thought it was no comparison to La La Land but I think La La Land is completely overrated so let's just ignore that bit.

I'd happily recommend Hidden Figures, it's completely lovely. Here's a good four star review from The Guardian if you want to read more.

Trailer here. In cinemas Thursday 16 February but there is preview screenings 10-12 February if you're keen.

MANCHESTER BY THE SEA - film

Manchester by the Sea, an American drama starring Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams and Kyle Chandler, is a very good film. At 2 hours 17 minutes it's about half an hour too long, but it's a very good film in spite of that.

Affleck plays Lee Chandler, a complex man struggling to keep afloat in his own grief. I'll let you discover what caused much of that grief but part of it is that his brother Joe (Kyle Chandler) has died and he finds himself the guardian of Joe's teenage son Patrick.

Sometimes when the characters in a film are grieving I find it makes the film unpleasant to watch, just because you get caught up in the grief and it drags you down. Now whilst this film is not what I'd call a toe-tapper, it doesn't drag you down. It just makes you really care about the characters.

The film jumps between times when Lee is married to Randi, Michelle Williams, and to a later time when they are no longer together. I usually prefer a more linear structure (I'm just a simple gal with simple tastes) but this is actually fine and Michelle Williams gives a very good performance; probably the best I've seen her. But speaking of very good performances, brace yourself for Casey Affleck. If you've ever wanted evidence that he's a superior actor to his brother Ben (#lowbar) you'll find it here. He's brilliant. (It made me ponder why he hasn't had more work and a mate basically said DER and outlined this to me. I'd forgotten.)

There's some sad moments that made me reach for a tissue but there's also some unexpected laughs. If they shaved 25-30 minutes off the first hour of the film which is a little slow, it would be top notch but as it is, it's excellent and still worth a look.

Here's a four star review in the Sydney Morning Herald if you want to read more. Opens in cinemas on Thursday 2 February.  Trailer here.

LION - film

This film is based on the true biographical story of Indian Australian, Saroo Brierley. It is a brilliant film that I absolutely loved. My favourite film in ages.

Saroo was born in India and through a sad chain of events was separated from his family. He winds up at an orphanage and subsequently adopted, along with another Indian boy, by Australian couple Sue and John, played in the film by Nicole Kidman and David Wenham. Saroo then goes to incredible lengths to try to reconnect with his family, despite having very little to go on to help find them.

There are so many twists and turns in this story and I wouldn't dare spoil them but I will say this - if this story were written by a Hollywood script writer you probably wouldn't buy it. I was lucky to attend a preview screening of this film at which the real Saroo (now in his 30s) and Sue spoke and answered questions. I was struck by the fact they said that in the making of the film, they insisted the film makers stuck pretty faithfully to the true story and some of it is a bit grim. But ultimately this story will make your heart soar. Truly, it's so great that I just can't recommend it highly enough. It was nominated for Best Picture (drama) at the Golden Globes as well as bunch of other awards and deservedly so.

Have a listen to this quick babble from me on the film... (For now I have a one-take policy on these audio recordings but for what it's worth, I'll try to say "umm" less in future!)

Hearty thanks to The Sun Theatre in Yarraville, Melbourne, for having me along to the preview. It was so great to hear from Saroo and Sue as well as see the film in such a beautiful setting.

Trailer here. In cinemas Thursday 19 January 2017. Do take some tissues!

MONSTER TRUCKS - film

Monster Trucks is a live action/animated film for kids and unfortunately I was unable to attend the preview. Happily my friends Mel and Jamie were able to take their kids Alannah and James along and give us their verdict from the perspective of kids and parents. Thanks, guys!

Here's what Mel had to say:

"Tripp, a high school senior, is tired of the life and the town he was born into. With no way out of town, he starts to build a monster truck out of scrapped cars from the local wrecking yard he works at. After an accident at a local oil-drilling site, a creature is unearthed that might just be they key to getting him out of town. That is the synopsis in a nutshell, there is another storyline kind of playing out, but it is all about Creech, the strange creature that suddenly appears.

I must admit, I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would. Given the title, I was not quite sure what to expect, however there was lots of action, a bit of humour and even a touch of romance. It wouldn't be a movie I would go and see myself but I think it's a great movie to see with children. Both of mine loved the action and though Creech was cute."

And here's what six year old James had to say:

It hasn't received any glowing reviews that I can find but here is Film Ink's not-terrible-but-not-brilliant review if you'd like to read more.

Big thank you to Mel, Jamie, James and Alannah for covering this one!

Trailer here. Opens in cinemas on Thursday 12 January.

LA LA LAND - film

La La Land, a musical starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, is getting lots of rave reviews and is nominated for a bunch of Golden Globes. So does it live up to the hype?

Not for this little black duck. I accept that I am in the minority, though certainly not alone, in finding this film really quite dull.

It's a boy-meets-girl love story (she's trying to make it as an actress in Hollywood, he as a jazz pianist) and despite having an unpredictable ending I found the storyline quite ho hum. It was only about half way through this two hour film that anything interesting happened! And even then it didn't last that long.

As a musical lover, I have to say that my primary objection to this film is that the stars, Stone and Gosling, can't actually sing very well. They're not terrible, but they're nowhere near good enough to lead a musical in my view. Neither are particularly good dancers either and the dance scenes aren't exactly electric. Also on the subject of it being a musical, I also felt like the film actually wasn't quite sure if it was a musical or not. There certainly weren't as many songs as I would have predicted for a film categorised as a musical. OK I'm going to stop saying the word musical now.

I saw this film with two friends and they both liked it and mounted a spirited defence (ie "she's wrong"... "Oh my God" etc) when I said I didn't. Here's how that conversation unfolded. (Be grateful - this is the short version.)

A five star review in The Guardian for your reference but this article, "La La Land is a terrible film, but it will win Best Picture at the Oscars anyway" in the Fairfax press is excellent and I completely agree! If you want to watch a great musical starring incredible triple threats, get yourself a copy of the 1952 hit Singin' in the Rain. Seriously.

La La Land is in cinemas now. Trailer here.

SING - film

This animated film for kids has a great cast of voices as an array of animal characters, including Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, John C Reilly and Jennifer Saunders.

The animals are united by a singing contest so they're an eclectic bunch united only by their vocal talent. I don't think there's much to be gained from giving you their back stories but just know there's heart to this film too. Nothing too soppy, just charming.

I really enjoyed Sing! It was probably about 15 minutes too long, but other than that no complaints from me.It was just damn good fun, the perfect thing for kids on school holidays.  Speaking of which, I took along three of my nieces and they all liked it too. Click play to hear their verdict... (Please ignore my awful nasal voice!)

Here's a 3.5 star review from the Herald Sun which I think is fair. This film won't rock your world, but it's just good fun!

Here's the trailer. In cinemas now.

JACKIE - film

This biopic stars Natalie Portman as Jackie Kennedy, wife of US President John F Kennedy, in the aftermath of his infamous assassination in the early 1960s.

Portman gives an excellent performance and has been nominated for Best Actress in a Drama in the 2017 Golden Globes for her trouble.

We see a little of their married life as President and First Lady in the film but for most of it Jackie is grieving in the spotlight while trying to console her two young children and define her husband's famous legacy.

This film is getting rave reviews and I can see why but I won't lie to you, dear readers... I got a bit bored. For me, this is one to catch when it comes out on DVD/digital, rather than rushing out to spend your hard earned at the cinema.

Here's a glowing review in Rolling Stone magazine if you'd like to read a bit more on the film.

Trailer here. In cinemas 12 January.

OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY

You know this type, guys. A Christmas comedy film with a few big names to lure you to the cinema in the holiday season.

So what's the verdict? It's not good news, I'm afraid.

For the first 20 minutes or so of this 105 minute film I was thinking, 'this is actually ok... not brilliant, but enjoyable, light, Christmas fun...' Unfortunately it went pretty steadily down hill from there. The laughs became less frequent, the storyline became more and more stupid and it was all just a bit ho hum.

Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman star in it and I bloody love Jason Bateman so I was a bit sad to see him be in this dud. He does what he can with the ordinary script and is pleasant to watch as always (#childofthe80s) and Jennifer Aniston is good to but it ain't enough. Kate McKinnon, who comedy nerds like me will know from SNL stardom, is funny in this as the wowser HR lady but again, it just ain't enough.

Quick plot outline - a fun & funny guy running a family tech business is threatened to be shut down by his sister (Aniston) who is the CEO of the business. Operation Save The Business commences and craziness ensues. Bet you can't guess how it ends! (Spoiler alert - he does save the business & it's happy ever after with him and the sister... So surprising, huh?!)

This 1.5 star review on news.com.au is pretty brutal but I have to say I agree with it.

In cinemas now. Trailer here.

** ON HOLIDAYS **

Apologies for the break in usual programming! I've been out of town for all of November & not able to blog. Usual programming will return in December... perfect timing for the hit motion pictures of the holiday season!

THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS - film

A Hollywood love story based on a best-selling novel! The two lead actors fell in love during filming! Based on an Australian story by an Australian author, filmed in Australia! On paper there's a lot to love!

Alas... I thought this was a bit dull. There were times where it felt a bit soap opera-ish unfortunately.

Tom (Michael Fassbender) and Isabel (Alicia Vikander) fall in love and wind up living together on a remote island off the coast of Western Australia where Tom is the lighthouse keeper. The isolation of course becomes a problem but they are delighted when Isabel becomes pregnant. Things don't go to plan with the pregnancy but all is not lost when it comes to their dream of being parents. I won't say more on that for fear of spoiling. It's certainly an interesting twist!

But unfortunately despite the twist and the complexities of what unfolds, I just never bought into the characters and their situation enough to really care about what happened to them. In a group of, say, 30 people I saw this with, I only noticed one wipe away tears and let me tell you, this film is designed to be a tear-jerker!

I didn't hate this but I certainly didn't love it and can't say I'd suggest rushing out to see it. Maybe on DVD/digital for a girls night or something of that nature.

Here's a two star review from Rolling Stone magazine that I'm down with. In the interests of balance, it's also received this four star review in The Guardian but that's way too generous if you ask me.

Trailer here. In cinemas 3 November. 

NOCTURNAL ANIMALS - film

Despite the fact it's a poor reflection on me I confess that the fact this film is directed by a famous fashion designer, Tom Ford, meant my expectations were fairly low. (He has directed at least one other film but I haven't seen it.)

Why did I think a fashion designer wouldn't be a good director? Look, I don't know. I'm an idiot.

You know what, this film is fantastic. It's a psychological thriller and by crikey it's gripping!

It contains two stories, I guess you could say. Amy Adams plays the lead, Susan Morrow, so one story is hers, but she's reading a novel sent to her by her ex-husband and the plot of the novel also unfolds as the second story in the film. That novel is a (violet) thriller in itself. Jake Gyllenhaal plays Susan's ex-husband but is also in the novel storyline. IT'S A BIT HARD TO EXPLAIN YOU GUYS JUST GO WITH ME.

Michael Shannon is also in it and is perfect in the role of cranky cop. You might recognise his face but perhaps not his name. He's been in a few films I've seen lately & I'm a fan.

Obviously being a thriller I don't want to tell you too much about the plot but I'll say this much... the film is intense. Don't go and see if it you want some toe tapper designed to leave you on cloud nine!  

If you want to read more, check out this five star review in The Guardian. I loved this film, but perhaps not quite five stars for me, for what it's worth. Not all of the reviews are as glowing as the one in The Guardian but it's generally very positive.

HOOK UP FOR MELBOURNE READERS - Broadsheet are doing a preview at Palace Kino on 9 November & are giving away tickets. Check it out here.

Trailer here. In cinemas 10 November.

OUIJA : ORIGIN OF EVIL - film

Confession time. I’m a big ol’ scaredy cat. Horror, paranormal, supernatural… Can. Not. Deal. Well, more accurately… Can. Not. Sleep.

So when I got an invite to a preview of the film Ouija: Origin of Evil, I asked my mate Jo to attend in my place and tell you what she thinks. I know I’d hate it due to the scaredy cat thing so it wouldn’t be fair for me to blog it. Big thanks to Jo for stepping up and taking one for the team!

So here’s Jo’s verdict. FYI – she ain’t no scaredy cat.

“Horror fans, this movie is definitely not The Exorcist, Nightmare on Elm Street (the original), Hellraiser or Poltergeist, although it did try to reference most of them. The premise at its core is an interesting take on the old ghost/haunted house story and the young actors at the centre of the action did quite well within their roles, but ultimately its potential was unrealised. The movie appeared to be the next level horror story for Twilight series fans, although some of the horror may have been a bit adult for that age group.

There was some unintentional laughter amongst the preview audience, with the scary scenes and entities not enough for a true horror experience. The relationship between some benevolent and malevolent characters wasn’t fully explored or realised in my opinion, creating quite a bit of confusion, possibly because the movie had very slow build-up requiring a very rapid denouement.

My assessment is probably 1.5 stars, upgraded to 2 because it brought back memories of playing with a ouija board many years ago, resulting in hilarious attempts at trying to spell out different messages at the same time and for the attempt at 60s authenticity, featuring some particularly cool cars and a truly heinous 60s crocheted vest!”

Here's a three star review from The Guardian if you'd like to read up some more on this one.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

CAFE SOCIETY - film

Cafe Society is the latest film by director Woody Allen. Some people hear a film is by Woody Allen and feel excited. Others hear a film is by Woody Allen and feel dread. I tend to be the latter but for my dear readers I go into these things with an open mind.

Jesse Eisenberg plays a young man from New York, Bobby Dorfman, with ambitions of being a mover and shaker in Hollywood. His one connection there is his uncle Phil, played by Steve Carell, who is a Hollywood movie industry power broker. Both perform really well in this film, along with leading ladies Kristen Stewart and Blake Lively.

Bobby makes his way to Hollywood and eventually uncle Phil starts to throw him a bone and he makes some progress in being a player in the film industry himself. But these things are never straight forward, in work and in lurve. Won't say more in the interests of not spoiling.

For me, this film isn't tortured and dull Woody Allen, but it's also not excellent and at-his-best Woody Allen. I enjoyed this more than I expected to but the storyline is just nice, not fascinating or clever or funny.

So in summary, Cafe Society is pleasant enough, but can't say I'd recommend you race out for it. Perhaps one for a night in on DVD/digital.

Here's a New York Times review I'm down with, if you want to read more. Trailer here.

In cinemas Thursday 20 October.

THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN - film

This adaptation of the best-selling book by the same name is a mystery/thriller/drama starring Emily Blunt.

I hadn't read the book so I had no idea what was coming with the twists and whilst they were pretty good (ie not predictable) I can't honestly say I was on the edge of my seat.

I won't tell you anything much about the plot as of course with a film of this nature you don't want to know what's coming. But to give you just a little idea, Emily Blunt plays Rachel, who is grappling with having lost some things dear to her due to alcoholism. BUT DID SHE REALLY LOSE THEM BECAUSE OF THE BOOZE?!

I didn't dislike this but I didn't love it. It was a bit like the film wanted to be a thriller but the thrilling elements just aren't strong enough. I wasn't very invested in the story which meant I wasn't all that interested in solving the 'but who is the baddie?' thing.

Emily Blunt is very good in this but she could only carry it so far. Justin Theroux and Allison Janney are two other faces you might recognise in the film and both are good but like Blunt, not given the chance to really shine.

Critics are divided on this one, skewing more to the negative & you can read about that here. The Sydney Morning Herald gave it 3 stars, which is probably half a star or so more generous that I would be.

Finally, a shout out to the numptie who kept checking Facebook on her phone during the film. DO NOT BE THAT GUY, YOU GUYS. Nothing will happen on Facebook in about two hours that can't wait. I PROMISE!

BRIDGET JONES'S BABY

Bridget Jones is a character from British fiction novels released in the 1990s 'Bridget Jones's Diary' and 'Bridget Jones; Edge of Reason'. These two books were made into films in 2001 and 2004 with Renee Zellweger in the staring role.

This is a film for people who have seen the previous films or read the books or at least know the general Bridget Jones Vibe (BJV). I had seen the two previous films and I think I enjoyed them enough though they didn't rock my world. All these years later I had completely forgotten what actually happened in them but I recalled the BJV and that was enough.

So in this film, Bridget is single (again... you get it if you get the BJV), things are going well in her career and she's skinny. (BJV-ers get the significance of the skinny thing.)

She winds up preggers with two possible fathers on the scene; Mark Darcy (previous flame BJV-ers will know, played by Colin Firth) and new guy Jack Qwant (played by Patrick Dempsey who has STILL GOT IT HUBBA HUBBA ETC).

After enjoying the first third or so of the film, it became clear that the 'which one is the father?' thing is really the extent of this story. I wished there was more. It just got a bit dull. I really didn't like this film much and nor did my mate. That said, others in the cinema at the preview seemed to enjoy it and when I asked two strangers in the car park who had been in the screening what they thought, they both said they loved it.

The reviews for this are pretty good. I mean, they're not five stars, but they're pretty positive. The Guardian gave it three stars - give it a read if you want more on the storyline. Three stars a little generous for me, more like 2-2.5ish I reckon.

Trailer here. Opens in Australian cinemas on Thursday 15 September.

CAPTAIN FANTASTIC - film

This is a tricky film to 'cut to the chase' on. It's complex. I'll try!

We have Viggo Mortensen playing a father of six, Ben Cash. Ben and his (absent) wife have chosen to raise their children in the wilderness, away from the extravagance of the modern world.

At times I was thinking, 'wow, how admirable' and other times I was thinking 'stop being so cruel and get your kids into the real world so they don't grow up as freaks'... well played, director Matt Ross.

Captain Fantastic is a comedy/drama (shout out to the cranky-pants critic who literally told people in the media screening of this film to "shut up" when they laughed!) and I saw it described as akin to Little Miss Sunshine, a film I absolutely love. The same cannot be said for this film. It's just so damn pretentious. Not terrible, but just not something I particularly rate and certainly not something I'd suggest you book a babysitter for for your occasional night out at considerable expense! Maybe one for when it's out on DVD/digital.

Heads up for Viggo fans - he appears fully naked at one stage. Yessss.

Here's a review in the LA Times with which I agree and here's a more glowing one from the Sydney Morning Herald.

Trailer here. In cinemas Thursday 8 September.

BEN-HUR - film

At the last minute I was unable to attend the Ben-Hur preview so my dear friend AC has taken the blogging reins on this one. Here's her thoughts...

"I went into this film knowing that the update wouldn’t have the intense 50s drama acting and kitschy camp overtones that I love in the original but I did expect a shiny new version with the same substance. There wasn’t and I was disappointed. It’s a good story and well told in the original but it got lost felt and rushed in this version. The story is of Judah Ben-Hur a Jewish prince who has a Roman adopted brother, Massala who never feels accepted by his adopted family or by the Romans and goes about trying to prove himself worthy by joining the Roman legions. Judah is accused of treachery to the invading Romans which puts Massala in a pickle and he chooses the Romans, sending Judah to the slave galleys hoping he will die which he nearly does several times. Cue Judah surviving to return to home hell bent on vengeance and finding his loved ones.

Plot aside I knew there were going to be some action coming with the galley ships and the chariot race and while the galley part was good it was over too soon and therefore didn’t make the impression it needed to. But the chariot race was excellent! Everything you want in a chariot race; speed, strategy, blood lust, horrible deaths, wheels smashing everywhere. It was awesome, I loved it. And it will make you want to buy a white horse, 4 of them in fact.

Then there is the matter of the Christian story which runs alongside Ben Hur’s story. The scenes with carpenter Jesus felt like they were jammed in and some were comical, I actually laughed at one which I felt really guilty about, thank you Catholic upbringing. In the 1950s version the presence of Jesus was more subtle with the audience never actually seeing his face. The Christian scenes felt like one of those biblical re-enactments you had to watch at school around Easter.

The overall theme is of the struggle between revenge and forgiveness and redemption however, there were plot changes made to the original I felt changed the message and one in particular ruined the redemption message a bit and also decreased the amount of leprosy and if you are going to do a movie in Jerusalem in 33AD you need a few more lepers.

All in all, if you haven’t seen the original or haven’t seen it lately then this may be worth it for the chariot race.

I agree with this New York Times review except they wanted more Jesus and I wanted less."

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

DAVID BRENT: LIFE ON THE ROAD - film

In this film, UK comic Ricky Gervais brings back his well-known character from the TV series The Office, David Brent. David is still a salesman but now he's trying to live his dream of being the lead singer of a band.

I'm sad to report that 'David Brent: Life on the road' is nowhere near as enjoyable as The Office was. I wanted it to be. I SO wanted it to be.

Fellow fans of the TV series will know what I mean when I say the show was both hilarious and excruciating. With the film, imagine taking out some of the hilariousness, taking out the characters you love (Gareth, Dawn, Tim etc) and watching five or six episodes in a row. Thumbs down.

The first third or so of the film is when it's at its best with some good laugh out loud moments but it wears very thin as David hits the road with his band (read - session musicians he's paying a fortune to help live his dream) to go on tour (read - do a handful of gigs in pubs and clubs not all that far from home).

It's getting mixed reviews - one star from The Age vs three and a half in the Herald Sun and the friend I took to the preview, who also loved the TV show, said she'd give it four stars. Now, I love her dearly, but that's bonkers.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.