Review: Gervais aces first starring role in ‘Ghost Town’

Directed by: David Koepp

Starring: Ricky Gervais, Greg Kinnear, Téa Leoni

Rated: PG-13

David Koepp has better credentials as a screenwriter (“Jurassic Park,” “Spider-Man,” the latest Indiana Jones epic) than as a director (“Secret Window,” “Stir of Echoes”), but as co-writer and director of “Ghost Town,” he’s stepped into new territory.

The film – previews make it out to be an out-and-out comedy – is a romantic screwball comedic affair that draws inspiration from “Topper,” “Blithe Spirit” and “The Sixth Sense,” and English comic actor Ricky Gervais, as lead character Dr. Bertram Pincus, takes his place among the screen’s most beloved misanthropes.

He’s not as blustery as W.C. Fields, not as quick-witted as Groucho Marx, but the core of their characters are similar. Gervais also draws upon Carole Lombard, the undisputed queen of the screwball comedy and a woman who would be right at home in “Ghost Town.”

Gervais, who is best known for his role on the British TV show “The Office,” has a decent résumé, but this film is his first one as a leading actor.

His character is a dentist who has little use for, or love of, the rest of mankind. When Pincus’ patients try to make friendly conversation, he stuffs the things of dentistry into their mouths rendering them, if not mute, at least verbally handicapped.

In the film’s best scene, Pincus is filling out (or not) a form to get things in order for his impending colonoscopy.

After the procedure, Pincus notices a few changes in his life. At first he doesn’t understand, but it soon becomes apparent: He sees dead people.

After a fairly amusing inquisition featuring Pincus, his doctor and the hospital’s legal adviser, he discovers that he was “technically” dead for seven minutes. That incident has allowed/sentenced him to see all of the deceased people who are in purgatory, wandering Earth until they are able to take care of unfinished business and move on to heaven.

The most prominent of Pincus’ ghosts is Frank Herlihy (Greg Kinnear), the recently deceased epitome of the modern male scoundrel. He was cheating on his wife, cuckolding a mistress and really only cared about himself – until he was hit by that bus.

Before he can move on to heaven, he has to make things right (as much as he can) with his widow, Gwen (Téa Leoni). He haunts Pincus in his attempt to make amends.

But Frank isn’t the only one hanging around in the netherworld. When the purgatorial deceased realize that Pincus is a link to their former lives, a bevy of them begin following him with simple requests that will enable them to finally rest in peace.

One woman needs her daughter to find a letter she slipped under the door. A man needs his child to find his stuffed animal that is merely lost under the driver’s seat of the family car. Three construction workers want their foreman to know their deaths were an act of God, not his fault.

Pincus, who has no use for the living, has less use for the dead.

But things begin to change. Because of Frank’s incessant hounding, Pincus makes an effort to connect with Gwen. Then he begins to fall in love with her.

There are no real surprises in “Ghost Town,” but it’s a nice remake of the “Topper” and “Blithe Spirit” genre.

Gervais carries the film nicely, and this first starring role will certainly not be his last.

Jim Wunderle owns Wunderle Sound Services and is a Springfield freelance writer and musician. He can be reached at info@wunderlesound.com.[[In-content Ad]]