Ghost Town
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 1 hour, 42 minutes
Directed by: David Koepp
Starring:
Ricky Gervais - Bertram Pincus, D.D.S.
Téa Leoni - Gwen
Greg Kinnear - Frank
Billy Campbell - Richard
Kristen Wiig - Surgeon
Aasif Mandvi - Dr. Prashar
On first glance, Ricky Gervais seems like an odd choice for a gentle comedy like Ghost Town. His humor, demonstrated in his stand-up, Extras, and the brilliance of the UK version of The Office, is far more abrasive and mean-spirited with awkwardness that will have you in pain from laughter and/or cringing. But even out of his element, Gervais makes the film his own and co-writer/director David Koepp is smart enough to stand back and let Gervais work his manners.
Gervais plays dentist Bertram Pincus, an anti-social chap who's a bit of jerk but not actively malicious. He goes in to the hospital for a routine colonscopy and when he comes out, he finds that he can see and speak with the dead around New York City as a result of complications from the surgery that left him dead for (a little less than) seven minutes. The ghost riding him the most is Frank (Greg Kinnear), a philanderer who wants to make sure that his wife Gwen (Téa Leoni) doesn't end up with a jerk. Bernard agrees to break-up Gwen's relationship is Frank will get all the other ghosts to go away (although the film never explains how Frank would have that kind of leverage, especially if he "moved on" after completing his unfinished business). Bertram agrees but in the process, falls for Gwen. Thus, our comedy becomes romantic and sadly, a bit duller in the process.
Ghost Town isn't fatally harmed by the romance-aspect of the plot, but it does lose some of the edge and energy it displayed before Bertram begins to actively pursue Gwen. There's a scene earlier in the film where Bertram is talking with his doctor (Kristen Wiig) and Koepp just lets the camera role as Gervais and Wiig bounce off each other brilliantly. It's to the credit of Koepp that he kept Gervais' comedic talent in tact and didn't soften it up for American audiences. The film softens around Gervais and Pincus could just as easily be Andy Millman from Extras. That rapier wit is perfectly in tact but Ghost Town isn't a mean film. It's actually a great date movie and if you can swallow the heavy dose of saccharine the film offers in the final act, you're going to have a nice time at the movies.
But as a fan of Gervais, Ghost Town gets me much more excited Gervais' next film, This Side of the Truth which he wrote and directed in addition to playing the lead. If Gervais comedic style can carry a simple rom-com like Ghost Town, then I think he'll blow us away when he's completely unleashed.
Words by
Matt Goldberg
9.18.08