Der Ghostwriter

From Knife in the Water and Rosemary's Baby to Chinatown, Roman Polanski has shown a skill at the slowly distributed thriller, and especially with a dash of hard-core politics as in Chinatown's Los Angeles water intrigues. Now in The Ghost Writer, the acclaimed director recaptures that Hitchcock sense of inevitable evil slowly stalking the rich and famous while the little guy protagonist witnesses the underbelly of power.

Ex-Prime Minister Andrew Lang (Pierce Brosnan) hires a ghost writer (Ewan McGregor) to finish an autobiography by the previous ghost writer, who mysteriously drowned. As unnamed ghost begins his work in a Martha's Vineyard hideaway of Lang, mayhem breaks out, for Lang is accused of sanctioning water boarding in the Iraq theater.

While it is apparent Lang's personal life is deteriorating as well, the ghost pursues with the tenacity of Jake Gittes the mystery of how his predecessor died, gaining a few bruised bones but not a broken nose for being nosy.

While the film has some clichéd situations, almost as if Polanski is trying to evoke '70's thrillers in all their cheesiness, he has recruited an excellent cast. In addition to McGregor and Brosnan at their best, Tom Wilkinson as a suspicious Ivy League academic and a cameo by Eli Wallach as an old Vineyard denizen are so good that I wanted more of them. Polanski has always directed his actors well, but of course he is smart enough to hire them in the first place.

The stark; outdoor settings; the almost antiseptic interiors; the slowly suspenseful music; the car chases; the shower; and the suspicious ladies,especially the blond), are a few of the Hitchcock touches gracing the Ghost Writer. That Lang is unable to reside in only few countries of the world where he can't be extradited for crimes against humanity is a light reference to Polanski's own exile. For that allusion, I applaud him and wonder how he can keep a sense of humor amidst his possible imprisonment on charges of statutory rape.

However, he is after all a certifiable auteur whose legacy will outlive any prison time.

I went in to see this film without any prior knowledge of what it was about. I kinda like that when I see a movie... I only knew that Ewan McGregor was in it and that was good enough a reason for me. The first two things that I noticed in this film was the cinematography and the score. I thought that the cinematography was beautiful and the settings were stunning. There was a reason why everything had a certain look about it. The opening music at the beginning was also another hint that something is quite off through the whole movie. This isn't going to be a run-of-the mill mystery story; this is so much more.

Without giving away anything, there is so much to see and speculate on when you are introduced to the characters. I didn't realize until the very end of the film that you are never hinted as to ANYTHING about The Ghost. More than once I was going over in my head to try and remember what his character's name was, but to no avail. Ruth's character is something else completely compelling and curious. Truly brilliant characters in this story.

I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone who is looking to go see a truly amazing and cerebral film. It doesn't mess with your head in the way Shutter Island did, but it makes you think and it really leads you down every single road of the map, all at the same time.

I have been waiting to see this movie since I saw the trailer and not just because it starred Pierce Bronsnan. This film looked and sounded very interesting and I have to say that it was. It might be slow for some people who are use to modern movies where things move at a fast pace (mostly to go nowhere). It keeps your interest and has a nice twist at the end. The acting was superb, even the minor roles, such as Timothy Hutton (who I miss on the big screen) did a great job with a really small role. Sure it wasn't a great thriller but it has a lot of good elements that make it suspenseful. Also this movie has a lot of humor and doesn't take itself so seriously which is great too. It's a really good balance and I would see it again.

Roman Polanski's 'The Ghost Writer' bears the most in common with his recent 'The Ninth Gate'. The comparison starts this review as many others will inevitably find some comparison to be made with the director's work, especially since his personality looms so large.

The plot has been described countless times and will be spared here. What instead fascinates is the depiction of Ewan McGregor as the nameless protagonist. He has no family, no real attachments so to speak, and no real drive. Like Johnny Depp's "book detective" in 'The Ninth Gate' his reason for existence seems to be to serve those higher in society. McGregor plays the party well, never completely convincing in one state or the other. Even when under duress his physical movements speak much more about his mental state than his mannerisms. This could be interpreted as Polanski's examination of apathy within larger society. What I mean by that is to say that it is through the Ghost's lack of interest that one can observe the world.

Shot by Pawel Edelman, who has collaborated with Polanski in the past as well as with other heavyweight Polish filmmaker Andrzej Wajda, the images of 'The Ghost Writer' suggest a cool bleakness. Accompanied by a poetic score by the always reliable Alexandre Desplat the film suggests a constant looming menace, embodied by the rain of the New England island. The camera often remains static, sometimes zeroing in for reactions, but always showing a complete action through a singular movement or lack of movement. Often times the characters seem resigned to their fates. The roles each person plays in the story are very clearly defined. Former-PM Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan), surrounded by his lackeys, anti-war protesters, etc. all seem just pieces of grander scale. Polanski's world view is so thoroughly and crisply represented through this visual style it is as if the individual events are not as important as the atmosphere in general.

This is precisely why the film works, because of a director so in command of his craft. The film runs over 2 hours but every decision feels completely blocked and planned out. Every image carefully composed, every moment of information tightly plotted. 'The Ghost Writer' works terrifically by raising your blood level in this manner. Some will inevitably complain it makes the film seem merely serviceable when such expected plot twists occur. Yet I can think of few filmmakers so readily able to create such a vivid world and sustain it greatly. There are some pacing issues and the music can be overbearing. These are not unlike the problems facing Martin Scorsese's 'Shutter Island'. The talent of all involved makes the film exceed a workmanlike thriller even though the atmosphere on set was so mathematical.

A very enjoyable, meticulous film that demands and rewards patience. Worth seeing.

I saw this few days back on a dvd which I own.

Inspite of the dvd being in my drawer for a decade, I never felt the urge to go ahead.

What a fool I was cos this is an amazing thriller with a top notch performance by Gregor.

The cinematography is excellent n the best part is the script.

The movie inspite of being a simple thriller has lots of tension n it is very captivating from the go.