ALARIS' REVIEWS

14th February 2009
Ghost Town (2008)

I probably shouldn't start by saying I'm not a fan of Ricky Gervais' TV series (The Office, Extras). Humour that makes me cringe isn't humour. It's punishment. Having said that, I enjoy Gervais' podcasts, and I respect many of his views and attitudes.

I was wary of Ghost Town for two main reasons. The first being my aversion to cringing. The second being the premise of the movie: annoying man tries to prevent the object of his affection from marrying an apparently great guy (see my review for Run Fatboy Run).

However, for once, I was pleasantly surprised. Ghost Town is a romantic comedy with a light supernatural touch, and remarkably little cheese. Gervais plays Bertram Pincus, a socially inept dentist with people avoidance issues. After dying briefly during a routine operation, Pincus can see ghosts, and they begin to harass him to lay their unfinished business to rest.

Gervais is excellent as the prickly, lonely, and very slightly creepy protagonist, and I found him an easy character to empathise with. Téa Leoni is wonderfully natural as Gwen, the woman whose engagement Pincus must demolish for one of his ghostly haranguers. Obviously, Pincus falls for Gwen, but here, Ghost Town distinguishes itself from movies like Run Fatboy Run.

Ghost Town is surprisingly understated, with a few lovely, delicate moments when they could have gone for something more ham fisted. There are no big dramatic scenes, no heated confrontations, no sweeping romances. It's a quiet, offbeat movie with some really funny moments, and only a few cringeworthy scenes.

I love redemption stories, and while Run Fatboy Run failed to develop its main character, Ghost Town takes us on an emotional journey. Pincus changes over the course of the movie, and we can see his choices and his actions contributing to the kind of person he becomes. There's great satisfaction in seeing a story arc, finishing in a different place to where it started.

Ghost Town isn't a must-see movie, but it's an enjoyable film, solidly crafted, with nice performances all round (including an appearance by Billy Campbell, which is a fun bonus for fans of The 4400).

Verdict: An enjoyable, off beat romantic comedy.

If you like quirky, understated romantic comedies, you might like this.

Read Clementine's review of Ghost Town (2008).