Ghost Town is derived from classics It's A Wonderful Life and Harvey, with hints of Ghost, The Sixth Sense and Woody Allen's Play It Again, Sam. Did the Sting bit get cut? Is it going to be in the DVD extras? We have to get on with the conventional storyline. " and I happily settled back, waiting for some choice material. At one stage, Gervais's character says: "You can tell that Sting is an educated man. The screenplay has been tweaked here and there to allow for a British identity, and Gervais has evidently been allowed to improvise around it Koepp has created spaces for him to riff on his sarky, hyper-ironically-observant persona, periodically pinning him back into the romcom template. But Gervais has been placed in its lead role - which might otherwise have gone to, as it were, Steve Martin or Steve Carell - and he's made it work. This script, by director David Koepp (who worked on Jurassic Park and the new Indiana Jones) was surely not written for him in fact, I suspect it predates Gervais's pre-eminence by many years. But make no mistake: Ricky Gervais has done it.
#Ricky gervais ghost town tv
He has got his comedy green card Gervais is an honorary American.Īnyone who remembers Rik Mayall in Drop Dead Fred or Lenny Henry in True Identity will know how fiendishly difficult it is for British TV comedians to make the Hollywood leap, and Gervais's recent misjudged cameo in Shawn Levy's Night at the Museum made me think it might actually be beyond him too. He looks and sounds as alien as Gérard Depardieu in Green Card, and yet his alienness is not slighted or patronised or even much noticed. And his new film, though uneasy in some ways, shows that he can get away with playing the quirky-vulnerable lead in a conventional Hollywood romcom, with glitzy Manhattan settings and opposite such white-bread stars as Greg Kinnear and Téa Leoni. But probably on the basis of sheer buzz, trophy silverware, and the remarkable distinction of having been allowed to appear in and script an episode of The Simpsons, Gervais gets top podium position. Or perhaps it is Coogan, being the best conventional actor, not reliant on character comedy, and therefore having a career with the greatest potential staying power. But which of them deserves gold? Perhaps it is Baron Cohen, as the only one of the three who has created a bona fide, worldwide big-screen smash. When Pincus dies unexpectedly but is miraculously revived seven minutes later, he wakes up to find that he now has the annoying ability to see ghosts.I f breaking America were an Olympic sport for British comics, there's no doubt who would be in the medals table: Ricky Gervais, Sacha Baron Cohen and Steve Coogan - with relative newcomer Russell Brand coming up fast. Continues into end credits.īertram Pincus is a man whose interpersonal skills leave much to be desired. Timestamp: 1:33 | Scene: Frank realises that he's been saved. Timestamp: 1:27 | Scene: Plays at Gwen's mummy exhibition as Bertram talks to her about ghosts. Pincus rushes to the exhibition to see Gwen. Timestamp: 1:26 | Scene: Gwen gets ready for the exhibition as Frank watches her. "Which Way Your Heart Will Go" by Mason Jennings He arrives at work to find the ghosts in the waiting room. Bertram looks out the window of his apartment. Timestamp: 1:18 | Scene: Bertram sits on the bench alone in the park and is hit by hail. He styles his hair ready for his meeting with Gwen. He's bought a new shirt which he tries on the mirror. Bertram arrives home to Frank complaining. Pincus fits Gwen into his diary to look at the mummy. A lady plays this music on her violin as Bertram evades them. Timestamp: 0:15 | Scene: Bertram runs through the park chased by the ghosts. Timestamp: 0:07 | Scene: Bertram sneaks out of the office as his colleagues celebrate the birth of the baby.
"I'm Still In Love (W/You)" by Dusty Wright Bertram (Ricky Gervais) works on a patient. Opening credits inside a dentist's office. Timestamp: 0:03 | Scene: After Frank (Greg Kinnear) his killed by a bus he realises he's a ghost.