Rating: PG-13
Starring:
Ricky Gervais as Bertram Pincus D.D.S.
Téa Leoni as Gwen
Greg Kinnear as Frank Herlihy
Kristen Wiig as Surgeon
Billy Campbell as Richard
Dana Ivey as Mrs. Pickthall
Aasif Mandvi as Dr. Prashar
Jeff Hiller as Naked Guy
Dylan Clark Marshall as Alex
Brian d’Arcy James as Irish Eddie
Dennis Albanese as Johnny
Directed by David Koepp
Special Features:
Commentary by David Koepp and Ricky Gervais
Making “Ghost Town”
Some People Can Do It
Ghostly Effects
Other Info:
Widescreen (1.85:1)
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
French and Spanish Language Tracks
French and Spanish Subtitles
Running Time: 102 Minutes
The Movie:
The following is the official description of the film:
“He sees dead people… and they annoy him.
A spirited romantic comedy, ‘Ghost Town’ is the story of Bertram Pincus (Ricky Gervais), a cranky Manhattan dentist who develops the unwelcome ability to see dead people. Really annoying dead people. But when a smooth-talking ghost (Greg Kinnear) traps Bertram into a romantic scheme involving his widow Gwen (Téa Leoni), they become entangled in a hilarious predicament between the now and the hereafter!”
“Ghost Town” is rated PG-13 for some strong language, sexual humor and drug references.
Mini-Review:
If you’re looking for a lighthearted romantic comedy, then “Ghost Town” will fit the bill. When I first heard about it, it seemed like a comedic version of “The Sixth Sense.” Can anyone see dead people in the movies anymore without thinking of it? However, “Ghost Town” brings a lot more to the table than the usual ghost jokes. The main reason it works is because of Ricky Gervais, the Ebenezer Scrooge of the story. He’s cranky, sarcastic, anti-social, and rude. Gervais dances a fine line between being funny and being over-the-top, but he makes it work. Whether he’s snubbing a co-worker or not holding an elevator for Téa Leoni, he somehow manages to be both evil and likable. And like with Scrooge, it takes a few ghosts to give him a change of heart.
Fortunately he’s backed up by a strong supporting cast. Téa Leoni holds her own against Gervais as the straight man (or woman), yet she still makes it believable that she’d choose Gervais over Billy Campbell (a personal favorite of mine as The Rocketeer). And Greg Kinnear is good as Leoni’s former husband. He’s slimy without being unlikable and is just persistent enough to annoy Gervais for great comedic effect. Kristen Wiig also delivers a lot of laughs in her brief but memorable role as a doctor in the film. You will never look at fake tans the same way again. A variety of ghosts with issues also fill out the great cast.
Fans of Ricky Gervais should really love his sarcastic tone in “Ghost Town” and I have a feeling it will win him a bunch of new fans in the U.S., too. (Watching his British version of “The Office” is on my ‘to do’ list.) “Ghost Town” is a fun comedy well worth checking out.
There aren’t all that many bonus features included on this DVD. There’s a commentary with David Koepp and Gervais. There’s also the standard ‘making of’ video and a couple of featurettes.
