Movie Review: The Ghost Writer

The Ghost Writer is an all-or-nothing movie experience. You will either love it or hate it. I, for one, loved it. It’s a political thriller with no bells or whistles; just tight storytelling perfectly executed. It’s long and plodding but if it captures your interest, you will be glued to the screen, hanging on every word. Fun, because it doesn’t happen often. Working together with author Robert Harris from his novel "The Ghost”, Roman Polanski has co-written and directed a compelling mystery, thanks to very powerful performances, an excellent screenplay, interesting cinematography (black, white and variations of gray –very little color) and the architectural masterpiece that sits on an island off the U.S. Eastern seaboard, where much of the movie takes place. The film will captivate (those who ‘love it’) whether you like politics or know anything about foreign policy. Even our protagonist, the ghost writer, played flawlessly by Ewen McGregor (he is unnamed in the movie), is clueless and actually naive about these matters. The movie opens with a dead body washed up on shore and in movies like this, a person, inebriated or not, does not fall into the ocean, they are always pushed. Whatever secrets he discovered that led to his demise have now fallen into the hands of the new ghost writer.The Ghost agrees to complete the memoirs of former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnsan). His agent Rick (Jon Bernthal) assures him it is the opportunity of a lifetime. But while questioning Lang about his rise to power, the pieces just don’t seem to fit and McGregor is driven to question and investigate what happened to his predecessor. In the midst of all this, there is plenty of marital and political intrigue. Ultimately this movie works so well because of the emotional chemistry between the major players. This is one of Polanski’s gifts. He can get unlikely actors to deliver outstanding and nuanced performances. Remember Chinatown? Olivia Williams (An Education) is brilliant as Langs’ wife and virtually steals every scene she is in. Kim Cattrall, as the assistant and mistress, delivers a surprisingly subtle performance (who knew she could do 'subtle'!). But it is what goes on between Brosnan and McGregor that provides the fuel that makes this film a standout. Nicholas Cage was originally cast as 'the ghost'. We can all be very thankful that he dropped out at the last minute. There are a handful of stellar performances that don't amount to much more than cameos. My favorites are Eli Wallach as “the old man” and Jim Belushi (you will have a hard time recognizing him with his shaved head). This movie is not for everybody. You need patience and the willingness to pay close attention. If you want to see it, I suggest you see it soon. For a generation brought up on The Bourne Identity type of political thriller, this will seem much too tame. I doubt it will be in the theaters for very long.

p.s. I am a fan of Polanski’s work (Chinatown, Rosemary’s Baby, The Pianist, Frantic). I am not a fan of the man. He committed a serious crime and shirked his obligation to serve out his sentence. I believe he should be incarcerated. But it doesn't make him any less the craftsman. Maybe he'll write something wonderful while in prison.