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Bookmark this pageGhost Town (2008)
Director: David Koepp
Movie review
From Time Out London
Before ‘Ghost Town’ was released in the US, writer-director David Koepp suggested that he had doubts whether Ricky Gervais would be able to carry the project. It’s an odd remark, especially when Gervais is the last person who should be blamed for the film’s failings. Assuming his usual guise as the jittery, acid-tongued malcontent, he excels as a dentist with the Groucho-esque moniker of Bertram Pincus. He dies for seven minutes during a colonoscopy and, on leaving hospital, is able to see members of NYC’s dead who have business to attend to in the land of the living. The spirit of a city slicker played by Greg Kinnear railroads him into stopping his graceful other half (Téa Leoni) marrying a smug lawyer, but when Pincus gets to know her, well, you can guess the rest…It’s not unlikeable – but no effort has been made to make anything more of the Scrooge-comes-good model. Gervais’s sweetly pathetic performance masks many of the failings of the by-the-book quirky direction and workaday script, but Leoni is decent as the romantic foil and Kinnear’s slimy-everyman act works well. Enjoyable as it is to see Gervais trying (and often succeeding) to make something of the mediocre dialogue, it’s not enough.
Author: David Jenkins
Time Out London Issue 1992: October 23-29, 2008
User reviews of this film
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- Ad said...
- Posted on Oct 26 2008 17:31 As a Middle Class Liberal, I thoroughly enjoyed this film
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- jimeny cricket said...
- Posted on Oct 26 2008 15:03 i loved it
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- Gary said...
- Posted on Oct 26 2008 13:25 This film i one of the best films of the year. With the hunky Ricky Gervais playing the main man how can this be a bad film?... He is a sex god/legend!
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- Heather said...
- Posted on Oct 26 2008 12:26 I'm not a fan of Ricky Gervais but his performance in this film was notable. There were plenty of laughs along the way and the music throughout was catchy. Overall, easy-watching material that was enjoyable. Well done!
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- PERFECT DAY said...
- Posted on Oct 24 2008 19:46 Reasonably enjoyable, but could have been much better without chubby Ricky as the leading man. He is clearly out of his depth on the big screen. The film has it's moments but this is strictly small screen fodder. It is neither funny enough nor romantic enough. On a positive note, there are some nice simple songs in this film. Middle class liberals will love this film.
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- Hayley said...
- Posted on Oct 24 2008 08:57 i am going to see this film today with my mum . i hope it is good
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Cast & crew
Director: David Koepp
Cast: Ricky Gervais, Téa Leoni, Greg Kinnear, Aasif Mandvi, Kristen Wiig full cast
Genre(s): Comedy
Rated: 12A
Duration: 102 mins
UK Release: Oct 24 2008
US Release: Sep 19 2008
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