Ghost Town

When I heard Ricky Gervais was starring in a film he co-wrote I was very excited. Then I found out that it was a rom-com and that made me very sad! I was pleasantly surprised, at its core was a very emotional story with some brilliant characters and some classic Gervais humour. I would recommend Ghost Town to anybody. I can't wait till his new films come out!

My boyfriend and I sat down to watch this film and to be honest, we weren't expecting all that much. I'm a big Ricky Gervais fan, but not so much of Romcoms!

Well we were pleasantly surprised!

Gervais plays a dentist who hates people and lacks social skills. He just wants to be left alone in his little world to get on with his life. But instead he has to go through the horrors of making small talk and looking at baby pictures.

After dying during an operation, he realises he's seeing dead people, and they realise he can see them! All of these ghosts of course want messages past on to loved ones etc, and they want Gervais's character to act as their go between. Of course, he wants no part in this, but finally gives in on the condition they will leave him alone.

Through lending a helping hand, he meets a woman who finally brings out his warmer, softer side inside. Now he just needs to convince her that he's not such a bad guy!

Ghost Town is a very sweet story, nicely brought to life by the cast.

I would not reccomend it to anyone it was one of the worst films I have ever seen. Ricky Gervais is not a good actor for big screen movies, only small screen films and tv series.

Ghost meets Groundhog Day in Ricky Gervais' film debut 'Ghost Town'. Gervais is Bertram Pincus is a misanthropic dentist who is cursed with the extremely annoying ability of being able to see ghosts after a mistake during an operation causes him to die for 7 minutes. He agrees to help a man on the basis that these wandering spirits will leave him alone, and this partnership leads to Gervais' love interest.

Although it's important not to expect Groundog Day quality, Ghost Town is a very competent comedy flick, and certainly delivers on the humour. However, It's hard to work out if adding Ricky Gervais to the standard Hollywood romcom formula had its desired effects, because it's not clear what the intended outcome is. If the creators thought they'd come out with a romcom with a ghostly twist they're mistaken, because Ricky Gervais inputs his own Office-like qualities which make the film seem decidedly un-American. In other parts though, Ghost Town is heavy with Hollywood moral code which make most movie goers on this side of the pond groan and shift in their seats. The twist isn't the presence of ghosts as the creators seem to think, it's the presence of Ricky Gervais.

If the intention was to appeal to British and American viewers alike then the film works on some levels. But it's very hard to comprehend Gervais' shift from the excruciating Office and its subtle pulling of the heartstrings to the American slop we've come to expect, and when you realise you're sitting in the cinema waiting for the next David Brent moment for 20 minute periods it's obvious the film is doing something wrong.

Ghost Town is recommended because it is, undoubtedly, funny. Don't expect genius because of the presence of Gervais, but don't write it off as another one churned out by the aged Hollywood romcom machine.