GHOST TOWN
Romantic comedy. 2008. 101 min. With RICKY GERVAIS, Greg Kinnear and TÉA LEONI. Director: David Koepp. 13PGL.
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Willem Möller
Pincus (Gervais), an English dentist working in New York, is a rude, utterly selfish misanthrope with no friends or desire to make any. But then he has a near-death experience during surgery and starts seeing ghosts with unfinished business on Earth. They realise Pincus can see them and harass him to help their souls find rest. Of course he refuses but one, Frank (Kinnear), pesters him with his requests to stop his widow, pretty scientist Gwen (Leoni), from marrying the wrong man. Pincus soon falls for her - but first he has just about everything to learn about being human.
This may be a romantic comedy but it’s unlike any you’ve seen: the romance is merely hinted at and the laughs are rounded out by truly profound moments. With an original script, excellent performances and beautiful cinematography it’s a wonderfully entertaining movie you simply have to see. It will leave you with real food for thought. Special features: commentary, featurettes, gag reel.
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
Drama. 2008. 115 min. With Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet and Kathy Bates. Director: Sam Mendes. 13LNS.
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Brenda Pienaar
This is Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslow’s first film together since the 1997 box-office smash Titanic. It’s based on Richard Yates’ novel of the same name and set in ’50s America.
Frank (DiCaprio) and April (Winslet) Wheeler, an attractive couple with two young children living in an upmarket part of Connecticut, appear to embody the American Dream. Frank commutes to his office job in New York and April is a housewife. But they’ve always believed they’re destined for greater things. Will they be able to escape their boring suburban existence without drifting apart?
The performances are brilliant and the excellent costume design adds to the impact of the film. It’s a dark, shocking drama that will leave you with plenty of food for thought. Don’t see it if you’re in need of escapism. Special features: commentary, featurette, deleted scenes.
