Ghost Town

September 2008
Directed by David Koepp
Starring Ricky Gervais, Greg Kinnear

Review by Rebecca JEWELL

When I am asked what kind of movies I like, I reply with two words: original ones. So many films nowadays feature the same plot, same twists and same jokes as every other film of their genre. It's difficult, then, for me to say what it was that enticed me to go see Ghost Town (I will admit I did not know who Ricky Gervais was at this point, so I cannot even credit him as the source of my interest). The concept seems like one of the most well used in cinema, especially over the past few years: a person finds themselves with the ability to communicate with ghosts. Perhaps the first thing that caught my eye when reading the synopsis was that the awkward, anti-social protagonist, Bertram Pincus (Ricky Gervais), is a dentist. That quirk caught my interest, but it was the film’s quality that made me see it more than once.
Gervais' comedic style shines through perfectly in his portrayal the bitter Pincus. After what should have been a routine hospital procedure, he discovers he died briefly during it and has developed the ability communicate with ghosts. Now Pincus is stuck with more people to avoid- people who all want his help and are desperate to get it. One very persistent ghost, Frank Herlihy (played by Greg Kinnear), employs Pincus to break up the engagement of Herlihy's widow Gwen (played by Téa Leoni). However, Pincus' complete lack of social skills makes it difficult for him to even begin a conversation with Gwen, and the constant interruption of the ghosts doesn't help much either. The first time I saw Ghost Town, I missed a good number of the jokes because the entire theatre (including myself) was still roaring with laughter from the previous one. The dynamics between characters were excellent, especially between Pincus and Herlihy. And not only is Ghost Town one of my most favourite movies, it has the best soundtrack of any film I have seen. The Beatles, Citizen Cope and John Mayer all contribute wonderfully and make the movie that much more enjoyable. Ghost Town goes above and beyond the clichés and overused material found too often in movies. It is clever, funny, heartwarming and entertaining. And after a long week, I think I'm going to curl up with a hot chocolate, my laptop, and this movie.