“Ghost Town” isn’t inventive. It won’t knock your socks off with special effects or make you wet your pants with laughter, but it will warm your heart and make you smile. That sounds incredibly cheesy, but it’s true. Is that the wrong way to describe this film if I want you to go see it? Probably. But it’s true, “Ghost Town” will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
“Ghost Town” tells the story of Bertram Pincus (Ricky Gervais, “Extras,” UK’s “The Office”), a man who doesn’t exactly have the warmest heart or the best people skills. When he unexpectedly dies and is revived after seven minutes, he discovers that he can (to borrow a phrase from “The Sixth Sense”) see dead people. Bertram finds this pretty irritating, especially since the ghosts all seem to want something from him- particularly Frank (Greg Kinnear, “Baby Mama,” “Little Miss Sunshine”) who wants help breaking up the upcoming nuptials of his widow (Téa Leoni, “Fun With Dick and Jane,” “Spanglish”).
This movie has so much heart that you can’t help but have a smile on your face the entire movie. From beginning to end, watching Bertram deal with his problems, both with his newfound ability and with his personal issues, is a delight. The phrase “feel-good movie of the year” gets thrown around a lot, especially when studios are talking about some Nicholas Sparks-inspired chick flick crap fest that is only meant for women over the age of 50 to enjoy. I don’t hesitate in saying that “Ghost Town” really is a feel-good movie for men and women of all ages.
That’s not to say that “Ghost Town” isn’t funny. It’s hysterical. Sometimes you might miss a one-liner or two because you’re still laughing so hard from the previous joke. A large part of the film’s comedy comes from Gervais, who never once phones it in or resorts to simply acting like his famous characters from “Extras” or “The Office.” (Well, that’s not true. There is one scene where Bertram assumes that his Indian co-worker knows torture techniques for getting information from people. That assumption and the way Gervais plays it out is pure David Brent from “The Office.”) His comic timing is that of a master and Gervais carries this film on his slumping shoulders.
Greg Kinnear is generally appealing as a dead man who was about as nice as Bertram in his previous life. There are no surprises from Kinnear, however. He plays the role exactly as you would expect him to: the same suave and dry way he plays most of his roles. Still, it works for his character and Kinnear comes off looking good. Téa Leoni, however, provides a wonderful shock as Gwen, Kinnear’s still-living wife. Leoni is more likable in “Ghost Town” than she has ever been. She makes playing the slightly neurotic but kind-hearted Gwen seem effortless.
“Ghost Town” is not only hilarious, it is also genuine, a rare quality in films. It never panders or becomes overly saccharine. Though it seems like the type of film you might pass over in favor of something flashier, I urge you to reconsider in favor of this thoroughly enjoyable movie.
