stevenehrman

This is a formula movie with almost no real surprises, yet it works. It is very funny at times and quite touching at other times. The following contains some plot points, but nothing you wouldn't see in the trailer.

Ricky Gervais is winning as a misanthropic dentist who thru a series of events finds he can communicate with ghosts who are all very needy and want him to help them.

Greg Kinnear is great as the slimy dead husband of the beautiful Tea Leoni. Kinnear manages to get Gervais to go along with a scheme that involves getting close to Leoni.

As I say there is little in the way of originality. The obvious jokes of people thinking Gervais is talking to them when he is interacting with the ghosts for instance.

Finally look for Aasif Mandvi as a fellow dentist who is not quite friends with Gervais. Recommend.

I will never understand the hostility this movie instills in some people. I get that some people just do not like Jerry Lewis movies, but this is a real gem that has seemingly been lost in the mists of time.

This is not a documentary so there are plenty of anachronisms, but that is not enough for all the pans this films gets.

It has all the Lewis trademarks. Slapstick and sight gags fill the movie and always makes me think of the silent comedians Lewis obviously adored. In addition the dialogue is witty and very funny, including some laugh out loud moments. The cast is impeccable with a few of the Lewis players Jerry employed over his film career. Harold Stone and Kathleen Freeman are standouts. Two new faces for a Jerry Lewis movie are Jan Murray and Steve Franken. Franken would appear with Jerry again in Hardly working and they are both great here.

Lastly Jerry is vastly underrated as a director. He is innovative as always with camera angles and framing.

This film is in the upper echelon of the Lewis library just below The Nutty Professor, The Bellboy, and The Disorderly Orderly. Easily on par with any of the Martin & Lewis collaborations.

I highly recommend.

This Buck Henry created satire reminds me a bit of When Things Were Rotten as it is a series that just didn't have mass appeal while being very funny except for the pilot episode. I honestly have no idea how the series was green lit after watching how the unfunny hour long pilot turned in the very humorous half hour show.

Richard Benjamin leads a fine cast with many talented guest stars and the jokes come quickly. I suspect, as others have mentioned, that some of the jokes went over the audience's head. Available on DVD finally and also on streaming platforms like Crackle. Enjoy.