Ghost Town

Ricky Gervais: A Jerk I Like

Ricky Gervais is an actor that’s best, for me, when taken in small doses. Half hour episodes of the original Office or a supporting role in Night at the Museum – all good. But given the chance to star in a two hour feature film, I wondered how the eccentric English funny man would fare. Ghost Town is the movie and Gervais succeeds (with help) as main character Bertam Pincus, DDS.

Pincus sees dead people. Not a novel concept. Thrillers have done it, romantic comedies have done it, for all I know the Cooking Channel has done it. But a well worn premise does not assure the demise of a film – we just need likable characters to make it work. Unfortunately, Dr. Pincus is a complete jerk. How do we get over that?

Simple – he’s a cute and funny jerk. He hates people and isn’t at all shy about letting that fact be known. When he goes in for a colonoscopy his banter with the doctors and nurses as he’s rolled into the operating room (he has insisted on general anesthetic) is priceless. They’re idiots, he tells them exactly that. It’s after this procedure that Pincus begins to encounter Manhattan’s ghosts. He is not amused or frightened. No, being his usual self, he’s extremely annoyed. They want things from him, things like help. Ewwwww!!

Frank (Greg Kinnear) is a particularly persistent ghost. A smooth but smarmy man in life and quite a weasel in death, he is willing to make Pincus’s life hell until he gets what he wants. And what he wants is the demise of his widow’s (Tea Leoni) new relationship. The rest of the movie revolves around this goal.

Ghost Town is pure romantic comedy and quite sweet. Gervais is hilariously misanthropic and his antics are tempered well by the equally jerkish but far smoother Kinnear. The two actors have a delightful chemistry onscreen. Tea Leoni is an underrated comedic actress. She does a wonderful job portraying her eccentric anthropologist (very enthusiastic about her mummy) and allowing herself to be amused by Gervais. When she laughs, it feels real. Helping out the leads are a variety of ghostly characters looking to Pincus for help. They provide a welcome break from the main plot line as well as a chance to explore the “ghost” theme a little further. The special effects in creating the ghostly world are not extensive, but what is there is well done.

Ghost Town is not a breakthrough film by any means. It’s predictable and formulaic. I think what makes it work is the interplay between the three leads. Kinnear and Leoni are strong enough to dilute the antics of Gervais and make him not only tolerable but enjoyable for the entire length of the film. Dr. Pincus may be a jerk, but he’s also darn funny and endearing. Definitely recommended for fans of Gervais, and anyone who is in the mood for a romantic comedy with a little bite.

–S. Millinocket