by Derek Viger

Created on: September 29, 2008

Fans of the BBC's Office and HBO's Extras have long been aware of Ricky Gervais. Gervais now has his first Hollywood starting role in Ghost Town.

Gervais plays Bertram Pincus, an antisocial dentist. Bertram Pincus does everything he can to minimize his socialization as much as possible. Whether it is stuffing cotton in a patients mouth to stop their yakking, or making light of a coworker's new child, Pincus is painted as jerk right from the get go.

After dying during a colonoscopy and being revived Pincus can now see and speak with spirits. A spirit named Frank (played by Greg Kinnear) enlists Bertram to reluctant break up his former wife Gwen's(Tea Leoni) new engagement.

Gervais portrays Bertram Pincus well. Though Pincus does have a penchant for putting his foot in his mouth like many of Ricky's other characters, but there is a major difference here. Gervais's two other famous characters, David Brentfrom The Office and Andy Millman from Extras, craved attention on an unhealthy level. Pincus really is a complete jerk. Pincus shuns human contact. Though this character was certainly no stretch for Gervais, he plays it well. Ricky's quick wit and sharp delivery shine through. Where in another actor's hands Bertram Pincus would have been just another cookie-cutter romantic comedy character, Gervais really gives life to him.

That said, I don't think this film will be remembered as the breakthrough for Gervais into mega stardom. The film itself is formulaic. Gervais isn't given a lot of room to play around either. The material itself, while thought provoking, is not up to Gervais's level of intellect. Gervais is more in line with Woody Allen than the writers of this film are. The film went for the lowbrow jokes too many times. Gervais's talent would have been better utilized doing more cerebral comedy.

Greg Kinnear fits this style of movie. His character is a womanizer and a macho jerk. Sort of an extraverted counterpoint to Gervais's character. Kinnear does well. Nothing special really. Tea Leoni pulls her role off. Again, she does it right, but no big surprises.

I did enjoy this movie. I laughed at all the right times. My heartstrings were properly tugged. If you are expecting Ricky Gervais on the same level as his TV work, then you will be disappointed. If you go in expecting a romantic comedy with some good laughs and slightly smarter material than the normal affair, I think you will be pleased.

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