Everything I Know, I Learned From Movie Trailers

This summer's movies stretch as far down the block as the local multiplex. You've got the fun family flicks (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs); blockbuster action movies (Transformers 2 and GI Joe); and lots of comedy (Easy Virtue and The Invention of Lying). Here's a look at a few of our choices.

Pixar's latest, Up, was one of the first children's movies released this summer. It hasn't lived up to the reputation of its predecessors, but it promises eye-popping graphics and child-friendly humor. Based loosely on the children's book, Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs promises even better graphics and, as seen in the title, an attractive whimsy. The latest in the Harry Potter franchise is released this week. The hype is amazing - almost makes me want to see the movie. But after seeing the first one and most of the second, I couldn't figure it out. Why is this so popular? You can tell me about the Half-Blood Prince.

Transformers 2, continuing last summer's surprise success, has raked in lots of dough. I hope this one is as good as the last one. A simple, yet compelling story, excellent casting, and those Michael Bay-trademark special effects are a must. But little things mean a lot. Small touches, such as patriotism, devoted parents, and smart girls, bring the brainless action movie into the area of great movie, memorable movie. The newest Star Trek, for example, fell short of this. It seems hard to believe that another movie starring a favorite toy is also out this summer. GI Joe looks quite fantastic, according to the trailer, but it doesn't seem quite faithful to the old ideal. This new GI Joe becomes government issue with a super-soldier suit. Does this sound like fun to you?

Easy Virtue, set in the roaring 1920's, is based on an Oscar Wilde play. Jessica Biel plays a glamorous, reckless American who impetuously marries into British nobility. Kristen Scott Thomas and Colin Firth, as her in-laws, show her the error of her ways. Looks like a great cast, but I am a sucker for witty costume dramas. What would life be like if everyone told the truth right to your face? The Invention of Lying will let us in on that world. The Office co-creator Ricky Gervais wrote and starred in this comedy. With Jennifer Garner, Tina Fey, and Rob Lowe in the mix, looks like Gervais is finally getting somewhere. His brand of comedy, while hysterical, is tough for some to see.

Hope this short look at what's coming up helps you sort out your entertainment. Have a great summer going to the movies!

Ghost Town

Ricky Gervais is famous for his comedic innovation. After creating the British television show The Office with Stephen Merchant, he brought his seemingly real, slightly uncomfortable sense of humor to American viewers with the same show, starring Steve Carrell. In Ghost Town, Gervais brings his uneasy wit to the movie screen.

Ghost Town is a romantic comedy of a sort. Gervais plays a dentist, Bertram Pincus, who is a classic misanthrope. He spends his time avoiding human interaction and prefers his own company. After a routine hospital procedure, he dies briefly. He goes about his normal life, abrasive and unfriendly, but he is inundated with visitors, visitors from the other side of life. That is, visitors from death, or ghosts.

You wonder, after seeing Gervais in The Office, how much of his work is acting. He's probably really that big of a jerk. His character from television, officer manager David Brent, is unlikeably real and creates such awkwardness the show can be as off-putting as his character. It's a mishmash of reality television and situation comedy, with it's jostling single camera and hard to discern plot. But in Ghost Town, Gervais exudes that same off-putting attitude, although with much more confidence. And at the same time, you are charmed by his unhappiness, his loneliness. That's what you never saw with his David Brent character. Brent is self-centered and self-serving out of sheer neediness, but you never sympathize with him. You can't stand him. The vulnerability and subtlety in Ghost Town is the real surprise and gift of the film.

And Ricky Gervais isn't the only actor bringing you that gift. Tea Leoni, as his neighbor, and Greg Kinnear, as the ghost of her dead husband, also work so well in this film. Tea Leoni, I think, is vastly underrated. I can only think of a few movies she's been in, like Spanglish and, way back there, Family Man. I can't even think of another one. Why? She's so talented at presenting the funny side of her character, and then revealing with sensitivity, the unhappiness that lies beneath. I think you'll wonder why she doesn't get more work in Hollywood.

One last aspect of this little film is its soundtrack. So rarely does the soundtrack seem to complement a movie well. And this film, funny and bittersweet, would be challenging to score. Thankfully, the music here has a quiet, charming tone just like its film.

Ghost Town offers so much more than the usual romantic comedy. If you want a silly, over-the-top, mainstream romantic comedy, this isn't it. But if want a funny, insightful comedy for adults, you may like this one.