Ricky Gervais: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

4. Bertram Pincus - Ghost Town

Ghost Town is the film where the usual Gervais-schtick - a bumbling, self-aware and semi-awkward Brit out of his comfort zone - worked its best. A high concept funnelled into a bright-eyed, NYC-set rom-com, the constant sardonic commentary works because the whole idea of Gervais being able to see ghosts is so bonkers anyway.

What’s so good is that Gervais isn’t left playing someone pathetic, but a genuinely nice guy jaded by life learning to appreciate it again; it’s less mean-spirited and self-deprecating than some of the later examples we’ll see, and is all the better for it.

It did, rather unfortunately, lay a lot of the groundwork for his future American endeavors, although because it's so fresh really shouldn't be lumped in with them.