Bertram Pincus DDS will help you with your smile, … nearly every second of this film.
Rick Gervais, British funnyman, and star of “The Office” is terrific in his first leading role in a feature film. Greg Kinnear (Stuck On You) and Tea Leoni (Fun with Dick and Jane) just adds a masterful touch to create a delightfully comical trio.
Rick plays the part of Bertram “Pink Ass” Pincus, DDS (yes, a dentist); a man without any affection for any person, place or thing. After unexpectedly dying of a colonoscopy (still one of the simpler medical procedures) and being revived after 7 minutes, he wakes up to an unusual skill. He can see dead people. [Haley Joel Osment flashback!] Obviously this couldn’t happen to a worse person. And as the only living person who can see those past on, the dead bombard him with demands for favors that they didn’t get around to finishing. But “Pink Ass” will have none of it, except for Frank Herlihy (Greg Kinnear) whose brazen charm persuades,… urr…. blackmails him into helping his cause; to rescue his widow, Gwen (Tea Leoni) from jumping into the arms of tree-hugging attorney Richard (Billy Campbell).
One trait that I admire highly in an actor/actress of the comedy genre, is that they don’t try to be funny. It’s like the art of “The flasher.” Not that I’m condoning “flashing” (it’s just plain wrong, not to mention illegal), however, to many of us… it’s kinda funny. But if you stop to think about it a moment, if you encounter a man with a trench-coat and he turns to you and opens it up and keeps it open,… that’s just gross and it can be inferred that the guy is nuttier-than-the-typical. However, the quick flash often gets the best response and leaves you wondering “What just happened?” You pause and then you giggle. [or you’re shocked and go directly to the nearest “Fuzz”. whatever.] Point is… Bertram is like the “quick flasher” and gets the laughs, chuckles, giggles out there in an efficient manner, by not appearing funny – merely agitated – and we laugh heartier for it.
It was difficult to make deductions to this film, as the entire cast performed brilliantly with one another and the script was rich, and humorous. However, in these types of stories, ones whereby the characters are expected to “live happily ever after,” the dialogue can run a little high on sap. But keep in mind that it’s not the normal consistency of sap. It’s not pine sap. More like honey. Oh so tastey.
THE JOYCE REVIEW 