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LASplash.com: Film Ghost Town Review - A Whole Other World By Serita Stevens
They’re everywhere – ghostly apparitions but only one man Dr. Bertam Pincus ( Ricky Garvais) can see them.
Having briefly crossed over during a hospital stay for a routine surgical procedure, he wakes up to find that he can see and talk to the ghosts and they in turn can plead their case with him. Very reluctantly, the surgeon ( Kristen Wiig) tells him that he was gone for seven minutes.
The ghosts are everywhere asking for his help – even in his bedroom. He can’t avoid them and he can’t get rid of them. One woman wants her daughter to find a letter, another man wants his son to find a favorite stuffed toy and Frank Herlihy ( Grreg Kinnear) who is the most persistent wants Pincus to break up Gwen ( Tea Leoni)(his widow’s) engagement to Richard, a human rights attorney ( Billy Campbell) someone that he believes is milking her.
Reluctantly, this recluse who hates people and would prefer just to work and be left alone agrees – if only Frank will keep the other ghosts from bothering him. Unfortunately while trying to break up the romance, Pincus falls for Gwen and she for him, but she can’t quite believe that her late husband is out there coaxing him especially when Frank feeds him the wrong information.
When Dr. Jahangir Prashar ( Assif Mandvi) tells him that he really is a jerk, he realizes that he has to change his life. He begins helping the ghosts and they in turn, begin to head to heaven.
Frank, however, is still hanging around and finally Pincus realizes that Gwen is still hanging on to her hurt and anger at being betrayed. She is forced to let him go when she decides she loves Pincus.
All set to go off to study the mummies in Egypt, she puts her trip off because of her love for Pincus and in the end finds out the information that Frank had told Pincus was true. The boy gets the girl in the end as one might predict but there were a lot of funny scenes especially when Frank and Pincus are talking and no one can see Frank.
Writer director David Koepp (screenwriter for Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull) created this romantic supernatural comedy along with help from John Kamps. It was produced by Gavin Polne and executive produced Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum, Ezra Swerdlow. Fred Murphy directed the photography and Sarah Edwards designed the costumes. Music by Geoff Zanelli. This film from DreamWorks, Spyglass Entertainment and A Pariah Production, edited by Sam Seig, is rated PG 13 for strong language , sexual humor and drug references. I disagree with that rating. I think the movie is a sweet refreshing comedy which many should enjoy. In Hebrew there is a saying – If I am for myself alone, who am I; if I am only for others who am I. I think this sweet movie brings out a balance of both sides. For more information about the movie go to www.ghosttownmovie.com Published Sep 16, 2008 © Copyright 2003-2004 by LA Splash.com |
