Ricky Gervais seems to have the ability to rub people up the wrong way.
Maybe it's his egotistical rants or perhaps because The Invention of Lying was complete turd. Either way some people just cant stand the sharp-toothed tubster.
Whatever it is it seems to be mostly unfounded. As both The Office and Extras proved that when paired with Stephen Merchant he has an ability for creating both comedy steeped in real-life while delivering some genuine drama to each scenario.
While Cemetery Junction doesn't quite have the squirm-inducing Gervais in centre stage, it does have a trio of leads that seem adept at providing as much grounded humour, with the added bonus of not looking like a deep-fried marshmallow.
Set in ?70s Reading, it's hardly the glamorous tale that you'd expect Gervais and Merchant to promote after their international success and celebrity filled fun on Extras. What we get is coming-of-age drama, set against the backdrop of the blue collar upbringing of a group of three distinct lads.
While Freddie gets a job working for a superbly straight-faced Ralph Fiennes at a life insurance company, his mate Bruce is trying to cope with being a rebel, while Snork is just trying to be the ?Gervais? characters.
Although, that's a bit unfair on Snork. The character provides most of the laughs as the comedy sidekick simpleton. The character manages to provide plenty of chuckles even if he doesn't quite seen believable in the setting. Most of the early humour revolves around sniggers at schoolboy gay insults and Elton John?s sexuality. A few smaller characters also make an impact but it doesn't quite hit the memorable balance of humour and humanity that The Office excelled in.
It's more functional as an indie drama and it's here, without the weight of expectation from Britain?s home-grown comedy heroes, that the story shines. A study on adolescence, marriage and dreams against the backdrop of ?70s England with a great soundtrack. You care more about the eventualities of the situations rather on waiting for Snork to guff on Fred again. In that way, it's probably one of the most involving British films for some years.
It's clear that both Merchant and Gervais have filled the film with many cinematic influences and it plays on the era well. Also, the casting of Fiennes is a masterstroke, given that the legendary actor has a gravitas that makes much of his comedy the standout. Similarly, Watchman?s Matthew Goode makes for the clich?d controlling boyfriend between Fred and his love interest Julie. One trope of cinema that never fails to annoy is how the girl only ever discovers her boyfriend is such a monster when the really nice guy shows up. Presumably, being pushed around like a geriatric on a bus trip was all hunky dory before he arrived.
So it doesn't all work on inventive levels but when the story and characters are propelling Cemetery Junction so well, it proves that Gervais and Merchant aren't two of Britain?s best comedy writers but they're actually two of the best dramatic ones.
?Spray Rating: 4/5
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