Director David Koepp once made a pretty good straight ghost story, Stir of Echoes, and with this he has made a pretty good comic ghost story. A misanthropic dentist (bringing to mind the always-looking-down-in-the-mouth punch line) has a near-death experience under general anesthetic for a colonoscopy, which for some reason leaves him with the ability to See Dead People, as well as Hear Dead People, beseeching him en masse to act as a John Edward-esque medium to finish off their unfinished business. Much, indeed too much, of the comedy consists of the worn-out routine of the hero talking out loud to people only he can see. (Not in that category of material is the perfect comic timing of Kristen Wiig as a spray-tanned surgeon, and perfect comic inflection of Aasif Mandvi as the upbeat dental colleague.) Two things, though, will help see you through to the surprisingly spiritual and sensible ending. One is the doughy Ricky Gervais in his first Hollywood starring role, a bit more constraining than his self-fashioned TV roles in The Office and Extras, but still permitting his patented blend of the crusty and the crumbling, the tetchy and the touching, and also permitting a spot of romance. Roly-polies have feelings, too. The second thing, even steadier in influence, is the warm lighting and wide palette of cinematographer Fred Murphy, a name you can trust. With Greg Kinnear, Téa Leoni, and Billy Campbell. (2008) — Duncan Shepherd
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