6/10
Set in the year that American Graffiti was made (1973), this Gervais/Merchant movie shares the same theme: as Eric Burdon sang in 1964 - "We gotta get out of this place." Except that it's Reading rather than Newcastle.
It's a big leap to go from writing half hour TV comedy, even when it's as good as The Office and Extras, to making a full length feature, especially when you're not relying on your own well known faces (Gervais plays the father of the hero; Merchant has a 30 second cameo). Instead, the script focuses on three youths in their early 20s, who are - in their different ways - trapped and frustrated. Freddy has taken a job at an insurance company run by Ralph Fiennes (in smarmy tosser mode) in order to better himself, although selling insurance door to door is not really his scene. Bruce is handsome, cool, violent, and doomed to follow in the shallow footsteps of his father, while Snork is the chubby speccy idiot who rounds off the trio.
In terms of script, the leap is backwards rather than forwards. The subtleties and nuances of the two great TV series are ditched in favour of a broader brushstroke; we know where we are early doors, and we're pretty sure where we're going. 70s soundtrack, 70s clobber, and a plot line that Noah rejected for being old hat. But the thing is, it's all done with such energy and goodwill that it's more enjoyable than not. And one thing the script does do well is to nail the casual racism, sexism and all round ignorance that those who look back in nostalgia tend to overlook. The young actors are appealing and likeable, and if you don't set your sights too high, this is a perfectly decent and enjoyable British film, with enough cringeworthy moments to remind you who's behind it.
