Ricky Gervais is at his strongest when he lets us see how hard a man is working to be liked. We rate the precision of his embarrassment comedy; the trouble comes when he will not let an awkward moment end.
Fi1m perspective
David Brent tells a joke and waits to be appreciated. In The Office (2001), Ricky Gervais lets the pause show how badly Brent has misread the people listening. His self-satisfaction survives evidence that would stop most people talking, and Gervais does not soften it to make himself more agreeable. The writing allows him to carry on believing the encounter is going well, long after everyone else has understood that it is not. We laughed and then felt unkind, because the others’ looks towards the camera made us part of the audience watching him fail.
Stephen Merchant matters here as co-writer and co-director, helping to make embarrassment something the whole cast can register. Gervais and Merchant let the staff look towards the camera without making every glance announce a punchline. Their documentary camera also leaves the listeners exposed: a glance offers a way out of Brent’s conversation, while reminding us that their behaviour is being watched too. The direction gives the actors time to react, but usually stops short of holding a look until it feels rehearsed. The restraint of the surrounding performances helps us tolerate Brent, and makes it possible to care about somebody else’s day at work.
Extras (2005), again co-created with Merchant, shifted the attention to fame and showbusiness, with Gervais playing Andy Millman. His film work includes The Invention of Lying (2009), which he wrote, directed and starred in, making truth and lies the basis of the comedy. By After Life (2019), which he also wrote, directed and starred in, grief and kindness were central subjects. That is a broader set of concerns than the awkward pause alone might suggest.
The reservation is already there in The Office. Gervais sometimes prolongs Brent’s search for approval after a scene has told us all it has to tell, and Merchant’s presence does not always check him. We begin waiting for someone else to speak, particularly once the quieter relationships have earned our interest. Discomfort alone cannot make those extra beats funny. Start with The Office, but give the people listening as much attention as the man talking.
Biography
Ricky Gervais is an English comedian, actor, writer and director. He co-created, co-wrote, co-directed and starred as David Brent in the BBC series The Office (2001). He also wrote and appeared in an episode of The Simpsons (1989).
Gervais has appeared in films including the Night at the Museum series (2006–2014) and hosted the Golden Globe Awards in 2010 and 2011. He was born on 25 June 1961 in Whitley, Berkshire, England.
