November 3, 2008
The phrase “get a life” was invented for New York dentist Bertram Pincus (Ricky Gervais).
After something goes wrong with a routine surgical procedure, the pathologically anti-social Pincus’s worst nightmare comes true when he starts seeing dead people. Worse still, they can see him and start following him around in the hope that he’ll do them that one last favour that will allow them to move on.
It’s not so much a haunting as a stalking, with the role of chief stalker being taken by Frank Herlihy (Gregg Kinnear). In life, love-rat Frank saw nothing wrong with two-timing his wife Gwen (Tea Leoni). In death, Frank sees no irony in blackmailing Pincus into derailing Gwen’s new love interest, human rights lawyer Richard (Billy Campbell).
This is an unpretentious light comedy that does what it says on the tin. Gervais is excellent as the depressed driller-and-filler and there are fine performances from the supporting cast. A good choice for a rainy winter evening.
After something goes wrong with a routine surgical procedure, the pathologically anti-social Pincus’s worst nightmare comes true when he starts seeing dead people. Worse still, they can see him and start following him around in the hope that he’ll do them that one last favour that will allow them to move on.
It’s not so much a haunting as a stalking, with the role of chief stalker being taken by Frank Herlihy (Gregg Kinnear). In life, love-rat Frank saw nothing wrong with two-timing his wife Gwen (Tea Leoni). In death, Frank sees no irony in blackmailing Pincus into derailing Gwen’s new love interest, human rights lawyer Richard (Billy Campbell).
This is an unpretentious light comedy that does what it says on the tin. Gervais is excellent as the depressed driller-and-filler and there are fine performances from the supporting cast. A good choice for a rainy winter evening.