Customer Reviews

The Ghost Writer

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(47)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(18)
1 star:		(19)

 

 

"The Ghost Writer" is a Roman Polanski political thriller of the first order. It is very cleverly plotted with gripping suspense and narrative drive that pulls you into the story. Some movies of late have seemed endless; in this one I was completely unaware of time passing and was completely enthralled by this story of the deepest intrigue. It's full of conspiracies, and the whole thing is done in a very classy, sophisticated manner that will remind you of Hitchcock at his very best. It's engrossing and involving.
The acting is top-notch with Ewan McGregor very effective as the ghost writer who has been brought in to liven up the memoirs of a former prime minister (played extremely well by Pierce Brosnan). He is a Tony Blair figure who has been fingered for war crimes by one of his former cabinet ministers. He has ordered the arrest and rendering out of Britain of suspects so that they could be tortured for information.
The movie begins in gloomy, leaden weather on the ferry to Martha's Vineyard. A car is discovered without a driver. The man's body turns up later on the island, the victim of accident, suicide, or as we rightly assume, murder. Foul play indeed! He is the previous ghost writer who has now been replaced by McGregor. And of course he found out too much while doing his research. McGregor, of course, knows he could be a target as well.
Polanski has deliberately made very mundane matters seem full of import and menace. It's full of clues and mysterious doings in the austere modernistic house so alien to the Vineyard. The cinematography and atmospherics are terrific. A lot of sinister-seeming goings-on.
They don't make them this good anymore, and I think viewers will be pleasantly surprised. The intellectually curious and politically savvy will be impressed, I think. Pierce Brosnan by the force of his personality makes Tony Blair seem like a naïve schoolboy by comparison.

Watching this film for the second time I was struck by how great of a director Roman Polanski is. This is a director, who at the age of 76 can still direct a high-minded suspense thriller that doesn't rely on violence or even plot to drive the suspense; a a throwback to classic suspense films, driven by atmosphere and directorial skill.

Ewan McGregor plays the unnamed ghost writer hired to ghostwrite the memoirs of former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan) after Lang's previous ghostwriter dies under mysterious circumstances. Soon after the Ghost arrives at Lang's beach house, where he's staying with his wife Ruth (Olivia Williams) and assistant Amelia (Kim Cattrall), controversy erupts over Lang's alleged involvement in handing terrorist suspects over to the CIA to be tortured.

Many recognizable faces appear in The Ghost Writer including James Belushi, Timothy Hutton, and Tom Wilkinson, in a terrific bit role. 95-year-old Eli Wallach also participates in the film and his brief scene brought a smile to my face. The performances are solid all-around; Ewan McGregor carries the film as the mysterious protagonist, while Pierce Brosnan gives his best performance in years as Adam Lang. Even Kim Cattrall does a solid job that should silence the skepticism over her cast. Olivia Williams (probably best known for Rushmore) makes the biggest impression in a performance that will likely be tragically overlooked come Oscar season.

The Ghost Writer is a masterpiece of atmosphere and tone, being more in control of those elements than almost any recent film that I can think of. There's a sense of dread that hangs over the entire film, inviting similarities to Polanski's The Ninth Gate (which I believe Polanski was aware of with the addition of the mysterious motorcyclist early in the film). Polanski greatly utilizes his brilliant cinematographer Pawel Edelman, wonderful production design, and completely unnoticeable green screen effects to capture exactly the atmosphere he envisioned. With a complete grasp over this atmosphere, the film really draws you in to the story. A quietly foreboding score by Alexander Desplat also lends to the film's suspenseful atmosphere and will also likely find itself overlooked for Best Original Score.

Viewers have criticized the Ghost using Google search which is just lazy, idiotic criticism. The Ghost doesn't solve any huge mystery, but merely finds a few clues that seemed perfectly reasonable to find. The internet is a remarkable tool and in a world with access to such a vast source of information, why can't a film protagonist use it? I was so involved in the film at this point; I had no problem with him using it. As for the film being political "propaganda," this is false. Much like the term "pretentious" is now used by people to describe something they don't like or understand; "propaganda" is being used to describe this film by people who don't agree with the parallels the film makes with Tony Blair and his relationship with the U.S. government. The Ghost Writer is a political suspense-thriller meant to entertain, not to sway anyone's political opinion. Regardless of the political implications it may make, you can't deny the film's greatness.

The film's ending is so well-filmed and well-executed, it's a testament to what a masterful director Roman Polanski is. The complaints about the ending can only come from people expecting a typical Hollywood-thriller where everything is wrapped up nicely with the good guy going home and the bad guy(s) going to jail. Those familiar with the work of Polanski will be pleased that he hasn't lost his pessimistic outlook. It's a first-rate ending that is so poetic it's a perfect end to this great film.

The Ghost Writer is the best suspense film of 2010 and one of the best films of 2010. Polanski remains one of the great suspense directors and his latest film is so well-made and so well-acted, I cannot heap enough praise on it. I hesitate to call a film perfect, but The Ghost Writer is as near-perfect as movies get. They rarely make films like this anymore.

GRADE: A

*For the American release of the film some profanity is noticeably dubbed over. Editing the film's profanity to get a PG-13 rating was a ridiculous decision as I can't imagine anyone under 17 wanting to see this film. With that said, the noticeable dubbing did not affect my enjoyment of the movie and it gives the moment when the "f-word" is used much more of an impact. With that said, a DVD-release should have given us a version with the original dialogue restored.

This movie is bound to raise some ire and all for the wrong reasons. The controversy surrounding Polanski will dominate the argument. I feel that is incredibly unfair to every one else who has worked on this movie. So I am going to separate the art from the artist.

In what has to be one of the best casting decisions, Pierce Brosnan plays Adam Lang the former Prime Minister of UK. Embroiled in a controversy regarding the rendition program, he has sought refuge in America. Ewan McGregor (he is never given a name) is hired as a ghost writer after the original one dies in a mysterious accident.

Your average thriller would start out with the base setup and build on the tension leading upto the finale. But in Ghost Writer the tension is always palpable. Even in the most mundane of scenes you are never allowed to settle. The remarkable background score by Alexandre Desplat and the camera work of Pawel Edelman which paints predominantly in varying shades of bleakness play a huge part in achieving that.

Pierce Brosnan is brilliant as a conflicted man who had to make difficult decisions in demanding situations. The movie very wisely chooses not take a stance on where it stands on those decisions. Olivia Williams as Ruth Lang produces an impressive multi-faceted performance in a meaty role - the kind rare in Hollywood these days.

So if you are open to separating the art from the artist, definitely watch this movie.

It is perhaps because of the fervency with which I was looking forward to this movie that I am now declare disappointment with Ghost Writer.

Who would blame me? There are quite a few recommending features: good actors, an interesting mystery and a good director who raises the viewer's interest level right out of the gate: an empty car on a ferry and a body washes up on grey, storming beach!

Who? Why? How? These questions are raised but tantalizingly go unanswered as we watch Ewan McGregor's reluctance for taking up a new job, which only heightens the effect: what's going on with ex-British PM Brosnan and why did the ghost writer before McGregor (whose character--McGregor's--interestingly, is never actually named) die under mysterious circumstances and will history be repeated?

The wind-swept island setting in which The Ghost (as McGregor is called) ends up is gorgeously somber, enhancing the general foreboding atmosphere as the tale weaves in and out, throwing various clues that leads the viewer seemingly everywhere but at the truth, punctuated by events that effectively shake up the picture. Unfortunately, the truth is where this movie falters.

Unlike my wife and much to my dismay, I'm never good at predicting the end of movies, but this one's was particularly easy from about two-thirds of the way in and it's pathetic. Unfortunately, it seems in his zeal to paint UK-US relationships with the master-slave brush, Polanski stumbles over what could have been a truly intense story and grabs this pale reflection instead.

Three stars for the gorgeous scenery, the wonderful beach house and the great acting (with the exception of the unfortunate Kim Cattrall).

A ghostwriter (Ewan McGregor) is hired to replace a previous writer that was found waterlogged. His job is to go to a remote island and organize the memoirs of an ex-British Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan.) He suspects not all is well but it takes a few discoveries to determine that there is more to the memoirs than just names and dates. He may not be an invective reporter but he is too nosy to let it go. What he cannot let go of could very well mean his life. Then again, maybe it will all work out for the best. We get to discover the layers of mystery together with the ghostwriter. We also get to tell him to "stay in the car" but does he ever listen.

The movie is formula and politically charged. Yet we get to enjoy the suspense without a lot of blood and gore, no excess of explicative's or over cranked chase scenes. Roman Polanski seems to have mellowed out in his old age. Watching the movie, a second time will reveal the clues that were not blatant or masked.

I like the review of old actors in this presentation. I was surprised to see Eli Wallach. Aside from Kim Cattrall's accent, she was believable. Once Pierce Brosnan left those bond movies he also has become pretty good and fit the part in this film. I first became aware of Ewan McGregor from "Angels & Demons" then I remember seeing him around in a retroactive since; He can make expressions that speak better than words.

I only saw the Blue-Ray version so I cannot comment on other versions. I did find the documentary: The Ghost Writer: Fiction or Reality. Useful in sorting out the writer from the director, from the book.

The slow-boil thriller is a genre that I immediately respond to and Roman Polanski is certainly the master. With "The Ghost Writer" he crafts, what I believe, to be his best film next to "Chinatown". With crackling suspense, spot on acting, and a plot that is always compelling, relevant, and well told, you get one of 2010's finest films. The picture is so well made (expert cinematography, a memorable score, snappy editing) that it's almost unbelievable. Roman Polanski is back and in top form.

"The Ghost Writer" is excellent! This is how the story goes: When a successful British ghostwriter, The Ghost, agrees to complete the memoirs of former British Prime Minister Adam Lang, his agent assures him it's the opportunity of a lifetime. But the project seems doomed from the start--not least because his predecessor on the project, Lang's long-term aide, died in an unfortunate accident. The Ghost flies out to work on the project, in the middle of winter, to an oceanfront house on an island off the U.S. Eastern seaboard. But the day after he arrives, a former British cabinet minister accuses Lang of authorizing the illegal seizure of suspected terrorists and handing them over for torture by the CIA -- a war crime. The controversy brings reporters and protesters swarming to the island mansion where Lang is staying with his wife, Ruth, and his personal assistant and mistress, Amelia. As The Ghost works, he begins to uncover clues suggesting his predecessor may have stumbled on a dark secret linking Lang to the CIA -- and that somehow this information is hidden in the manuscript he left behind. Was Lang in the service of the American intelligence agency while he was prime minister? And was The Ghost's predecessor murdered because of the appalling truth he uncovered?

The cast led by Ewan McGregor (as The Ghost) & Pierce Brosnan (as Adam Lang) is excellent! The directing by Roman Polanski (who also wrote the screenplay and produced) (who also directed "Rosemary's Baby" (1968), "Chinatown" (1974) & "The Pianist" (2002, which won him the Best Director Oscar, he also produced) is excellent! The screenplay by Robert Harris (based on his novel) & Polanski is excellent!

The music by Alexandre Desplat (who also did the music to "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" (2009), "The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button" (2008), "The Queen" (2006), "Julie & Julia" (2009), "The Fantastic Mr. Fox" (2009), the upcoming "The Tree Of Life" (2010) & "Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part I" (2010) is excellent! The cinematography by Pawel Edelman (who also did the cinematography to "The Pianist" & "Ray" (2004) is excellent! The film editing by Hervé de Luze (who also did the film editing to "The Pianist") is excellent! The casting by Fiona Weir (who also did the casting to "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" (2005), "Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix" (2007), "Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince" (2009), the upcoming "Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Parts I & II" (2010 & 2011) & "Invictus" (2009) is excellent! The production design by Albrecht Konrad is excellent! The art direction by Cornelia Ott (who also did the art direction to "Valkyrie" (2008), David Scheunemann (supervising art director) (who also did the art direction to "Inglourious Basterds" (2009) & the upcoming "The Apparition" (2010) & Steve Summersgill (who also did the art direction to the upcoming "The Apparition") is excellent! The set decoration by Katharina Birkenfeld & Bernhard Henrich (who also did the set decoration to "Valkyrie" & "The Bourne Supremacy" (2004) is excellent! The costume design by Dinah Collin (who also did the costume design to "United 93" (2006) is excellent!

This is a excellent mystery-thriller that keeps you guessing and thinking and on the edge of your seat. This is one of the best movies of the new year. This is one of Roman Polanski's best movies in a while.

I love this film, but I'll confine this review to the technical aspects of the Blu-Ray.

Sadly, this American Summit Blu-Ray has all the cursing very poorly redubbed in order to get a PG-13. There are probably 15-20 instances of redubbing, almost always showing an actor in closeup, with their lips moving very obviously to other words.

Trust me, the cursing helps the film enormously. The replacement words are unintentionally funny and dull the impact of those scenes - the cursing is a vital aspect of the characters.

Luckily, there is a Canadian Blu-Ray with the exact same transfer of the film and the exact same extras. Indeed, I suspect it is an identical disc, as my Blu-Ray player thought it was the same and started at the same point in the film.

The only difference is that the Canadian disc, mercifully, leaves the cursing untouched.

It can be found at the Canadian Amazon site. It is from E1 Entertainment and is easy to distinguish by its bilingual packaging. It's a bit more expensive, but believe me it's worth it.

The Ghost Writer is the perfect suspense thriller, a great cast, and dark mood of a film for its subject matter. I enjoyed the somber musical score that Mr. Polanski used throughout the film. The Ghost Writer has the feel and mood of an early 1990's movie like The Russia House, a type of film from yesteryear that has more depth and less superficiality than what Hollywood films presently are about. I was eager for The Ghost Writer to come out on DVD and am very pleased. Also a fan of Mr. Roman Polanski as a filmmaker. This is one of the better films of the year in its style and substance. I hope to see at least a couple of more films from Director Roman Polanski in the future, notably Gods and Monsters which reportedly is in preproduction, set to start filming in 2011; sure to have another excellent and carefully chosen cast.

Absolutely loved it, great acting, great cinematography, great story. I rarely watch movies again right after I see them but I rented this, immediately bought it, and will be watching it again this week. So good!