Draw your own conclusions… GHOST TOWN
Posted on: Monday, February 16th, 2009
Comments: 7
Some folks call me a film snob. I don’t deign speak to them. Truth is, I love a commercial, Hollywood flick as long as it is properly executed. (In the case of THE LOVE GURU
, that would be drawn and quartered in the town square.) Seriously, I am always ready to be entertained. I want to laugh more than Ed McMahon. I cry more than Terrell Owens watching BRIAN’S SONG
. I love a good show and don’t demand enlightenment with every viewing. (Though a sense of purpose never hurt anyone… except maybe the Heaven’s Gate cultists.)
David Koepp has written some of the most profitable movies of all-time: JURASSIC PARK
; MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE
; THE LOST WORLD
; SPIDER-MAN
; WAR OF THE WORLDS
; INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
. And don’t forget other, relatively smaller, successes: PANIC ROOM
; SECRET WINDOW
; CARLITO’S WAY
; DEATH BECOMES HER
. Amazingly, he has fit more personal projects in between including the under-seen APARTMENT ZERO
, the under-rated STIR OF ECHOES
and the under-appreciated series “Hack.” (Heck, any show that pairs David Morse and Andre Braugher is worth a longer look, Nielsen families!) Now, he’s toiling on ANGELS & DEMONS, Ron Howard‘s unwarranted sequel to THE DA VINCI CODE
. (Egads, Dan Brown is almost enough to make me pine for John Grisham… though not enough for me to read Playing for Pizza
.)
Most recently, Koepp wrote and directed GHOST TOWN
, a surprisingly effective romantic comedy that while unable to knock off the three I championed on KUOW, prompted a commendable mix of titters and tears. I liked it. I really did. The fact that Koepp could create a character as emotionally unattractive as Ricky Gervais‘ caitiff dentist and still have me rooting for him in the third act is a testament to the smart scripting… and, possibly, the smarter casting. (That I should care about Greg Kinnear at all, ever, is a miracle.) GHOST TOWN is intelligently-crafted and its sentiment well-earned. The humor is light, yet rich; the laughter generated thru character rather than dumb punch-lines. (Naturally, it helps to have Aasif Mandvi, Kristen Wiig and Michael-Leon Wooley delivering these… non-jokes.)
I won’t provide a synopsis. That’s why you are supposed to watch the movies. For the story, folks. So, do so. Go rent GHOST TOWN and tell me if I’ve won any street cred amongst the common movie-goers or if I am still perceived as a stuck-up cineaste. The smartest and/or funniest replies will likely win prizes! Just post them on this here blog by Noon on Monday, February 23rd, 2009.
As founder of The Warren Report, Warren Etheredge hosts over 250 events every year,
a podcast and television series. The Warren Report promotes "slow culture" through commentary, outreach,
events and education. Our principle: Smarter audiences make a better world!
February 16th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
The dentist, a seemingly unlikable character written so well that I think he’ll be my next boyfriend.
February 16th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
Whatever you do, don’t listen to the audio commentary. At least, not all the way through. Listen long enough, and hear Gervais insult the intelligence of anyone still listening. More than once. (Actually, the commentary’s pretty amusing. More amusing than the film. And Gervais is very … Gervais-y.)
February 16th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
I’m not much of a rom-com fan, but Ghost Town really worked for me, perhaps because I am the target audience – cranky, single, professional, middle-aged Ricky Gervais fans. It’s the best modern example of ’30s screwball comedy I’ve seen lately.
February 16th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Warren, I’m happy and relieved that you enjoyed Ghost Town. You might recall my sheepishly asking your opinion about the film during the Substance and Sale seminar. I wept three times at the end (of the film). Perhaps because it is a comedy, the tears surprised and delighted me — more fulfilling than those poured during Terms of Endearment. I’m also a sucker for falling air conditioners-phew-BUS! Not to mention blonde actresses with husky voices — and David Duchovny watches porn?! The comedic timing and body language of Mandvi and Wiig were masterful. I was disappointed only by the main character’s wound — it seemed too vague to result in his being a jerk, though I’ve acted like a jerk after lesser wounds. I used the word “dick” instead of “jerk” in my original e-mail to Warren, but I thought “dick” would be inappropriate for a blog. So I’m not going to keep writing dick.
February 16th, 2009 at 11:24 pm
The best Ricky Gervais film all of last year. It easily tided me over between Night at the Museum films.
In all seriousness, Koepp co-wrote one of the most taut, polished scripts of the past year, which is no surprise, considering Panic Room, Stir of Echoes, and Mission: Impossible before it. And he must be congratulated for his ability to keep a movie under two hours. When was the last time that happened, outside of tween-focused trash?
Now if only someone would cast Kristen Wiig as someone other than Kristen Wiig…
February 21st, 2009 at 7:23 pm
this is the first warren-recommended film i have watched in years, probably because the first film he told me to watch was “anchorman.” yes, he had his reasons for suggesting it (none of them being that it was a good example of anything), but still. no one should ever watch that movie. unless they need to lose weight before the prom. i mean, w recommending that movie is probably what has been subconsciously keeping me from watching his podcasts. anyway, “ghost town” is pretty great. it’s an example of how good a rom-com can be, using a well-known formula in a way that gets us involved with the characters. and the characters are well-drawn, not just the standard three “i love her but she’s too good for me and she’s with that rotten guy for some reason” rom-com standards. and the dialogue from the supporting characters was as tight and funny as for the leads. plus, cameron from “ferris bueller’s day off” is in it, and we get to see how much a great dane poops. nice work all around. warren got this recommendation right.
February 21st, 2009 at 11:43 pm
Unfortunately, I have no clever or amusing way to put this, but: Warren was right. It was no suprise to me that I liked ‘Ghost Town’, because I love RIcky Gervais. AND Greg Kinnear, thank you very much. And I love movies. And am easily entertained to the point of being considered silly or easy. Warren’s approval of this brand of fun/satisfying entertainment sent me on a spree of my favorite junk-food movies–some not all as well-crafted as ‘Ghost Town’ (‘The Low Life’) but some as well-cast (‘Committed’), as well as a personal mini-marathon of the original British version of ‘The Office’…thanks Warren!