Ghost Town DVD review

Dr Bertram Pincus (Gervais) is not really a people person. It would not be going too far to say that he hates people, even his friendly and cheerful colleagues at his Manhattan dental practice. Social niceties are beyond him; small talk is a step too far. And yet people will insist on trying to talk to him; even in hospital he is forced to listen to the inane babble of the surgeons, discussing their tanning booth experiences. So he insists on a full anaesthetic and when he wakes up he realizes that something very strange has happened; he sees dead people.

Thankfully this does not involve him talking in a creepy whisper, or Bruce Willis, but for Pincus it’s almost worse – now everyone, dead and alive, is trying to talk to him. Some of the ghosts can be put off or distracted, but the mot persistent is Frank (Kinnear), who explains that all the ghosts have unfinished business and need Pincus’ help. In Frank’s own case, he needs Pincus to warn his widow, Gwen (Leoni), that her new boyfriend is a bad man. As Frank admits, it takes one to know one – he was cheating on Gwen before he died. Frank will give Pincus the clues to Gwen’s character and teach him how to charm her and, in order to get Frank off his back, Pincus reluctantly agrees. And then finds that he is falling for her…

Ricky Gervais basically always plays some version of the same character but does it very well. Ghost Town does nothing to break the mould, but is still charming and funny in a classic Hollywood sort of way. It feels oddly old-fashioned and is well written and entertaining and well worth a look.

Ghost Town is on DVD now.