Ghost Town [2008]

This movie is quite surprising in many ways-both good as well as in between!

The star actors are not necessarily the ones that make the movie good and memorable. Greg Kinnear has top billing and while he does have quite a lot of screen time he plays what I consider to be a foil to Ricky Gervais character-Dr. Bertram Pincus who is a plain, boring dentist. He is apparently shy around people and avoids them at nearly all costs. I thought of his character as socially awkward through much of the film, until a scene near the end of the movie where he's at the office he shares with another dentist Dr. Prashar-played by Aasif Mandvi-and Pincus is telling him that he hurts emotionally because he just lost a woman that he loves. Instead of what I expected to transpire in the film Dr. Pincus doesn't open up his heart and seek help, instead he asks his colleague to write a script for him of narcotics so that he can sleep. Dr.Prashar is obviously disappointed and angry at Pincus’ request and behavior. He calls him a selfish prick. This confronting of Pincus causes him to reflect on his actions towards others and change so that he takes time to acknowledge the presence of those he's been trying to get rid of and to help them. In doing so he helps himself-of sorts-as well as gets himself plowed over by a bus!

I cannot finish without mentioning Téa Leoni's performance. I've not been a huge fan of her films but the last two movies I've seen her in-You Kill Me [2007] and now Ghost town [2008]-have shown a depth of character and feeling on her part that made me feel and care about her character. She reminded me of someone I knew in this film and perhaps that is a skill that films and actors and viewers have-to identify with the characters so that we feel like we know them. And in that way perhaps we care about them more than we should, or perhaps it allows us to express feelings we don't believe are appropriate to let out. Anyway you view it-as a person you could be, as someone you have been, or as someone you know-Tea Leoni plays a compelling and believable character who evokes emotion from herself and from the audience.

The film is definitely one worth seeing if you enjoy some dryer humor-not humor about machines that dry clothes, but humor that is more cerebral! And I found it to have an underlying theme expressing the concept that we should do more for each other and by doing so we are doing for ourselves as well!

Go see this film-rent it or go to a theater and view it!

Ghost Town on imdb.com
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0995039/

Tea Leoni-imdb.com
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000495/

You Kill Me [2007]
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0796375/

Tuesday 11th November 2008