In his first lead film role Ricky Gervais plays misanthropic Bertram Pincus, a British dentist in New York. He is shown stealing cabs, refusing to hold elevators, and sneaking out of a workplace celebration. After a routine colonoscopy where he dies on the operating table for a few minutes, he gains the ability to see ghosts. They are all trapped on Earth and want Pincus to help them, so they can move on. He finally makes a deal to help Frank (Greg Kinnear), who will get the other ghosts to leave him alone. Frank wants Pincus to keep his widow Gwen (Tea Leoni) from marrying her new boyfriend Richard (Billy Campbell), a human-rights lawyer because he is really a bad guy.
Pincus tries to ingratiate himself with Gwen, which is tough since he has been rude to her throughout the beginning of the film, such as the aforementioned cab-stealing. Also, since he has kept himself secluded from people for so long, he has a bit of trouble interacting. Pincus plans to woo her with the help of Frank, who has little hope for the plan, but it’s all they have to get Richard out of the picture. Pincus finally gets an in when he is able to help Gwen with her work. However, since Frank doesn’t want anyone with Gwen, does Pincus stand a chance to be with her?
While Ghost Town covers very familiar ground, there are plenty of laughs and nice touches along the way that keep the viewer engaged and satisfied. Gervais slays me. I find his comedic timing and delivery brilliant in everything I have seen him in, even interviews, and it’s no different here. No one makes awkwardness so funny. The addition to the ghost mythology that the dead remain on Earth not because they have something to do, but because people won’t let them go along with the idea that people sneeze when they walk through a ghost are intriguing ideas.
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