Ricky Gervais as a romantic lead? Surely not? Ghost Town's plot revolves around the curmudgeonly character of Albert Pincus, a British dentist in New York who is so Scrooge-like that he sneaks out of the office to avoid joining in celebrations for the birth of a colleague's baby.
When his colonoscopy procedure goes wrong, a near-death experience renders Pincus able to communicate with the city's ghosts. Cue his involvement in a supernatural love triangle as he falls for his female neighbour Gwen (Téa Leoni), recently widowed by her wealthy husband Frank, smoothly played by Greg Kinnear. Gervais has come under fire for selling out to Hollywood with this role, mostly from fans who feel that this kind of film undermines his comic reputation. The truth is, it doesn't.
Yes it's a romcom, but Gervais's greatest gift is that he simply has to make a face or indeed don a dentist's overalls, and most of us laugh. Ghost Town is also charming, with plenty of gloriously deadpan lines. "What a terrible thing to say!" exclaims Pincus, after being told politely to come back soon by a nurse when leaving hospital. It's a novel role that Gervais should be proud to list on his CV.
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The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
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RESULT
Al Hilal 4 Persepolis 0
Khribin (31', 54', 89'), Al Shahrani 40'
Red card: Otayf (Al Hilal, 49')
'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
Manchester United v Liverpool
Premier League, kick off 7.30pm (UAE)
