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Special Features
An Interview with Roman Polanski
The Ghost Writer: Fiction or Reality?
The Cast of The Ghost Writer
The Ghost Writer: Fiction or Reality?
The Cast of The Ghost Writer
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Oscar-winning director Roman Polanksi (The Pianist) teams up with author-screenwriter Robert Harris (Enigma) for this twisty political thriller. Ewan McGregor plays an unnamed ghostwriter who signs on to pen the memoirs of former British prime minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan). The money is good, but there's a catch: the ghost's predecessor perished under mysterious circumstances (his body washed up on the shore in an apparent suicide). Being the adventurous sort, the ghost puts that information aside and travels to Lang's austere compound on Martha's Vineyard, where he meets Lang's efficient personal secretary, Amelia (Kim Cattrall, good but for an inconsistent accent), and acerbic wife, Ruth (An Education's Olivia Williams). Just as he's wading through Lang's dull text, the PM's ex-cabinet minister accuses him of handing over suspected terrorists to the CIA, fully aware that torture would be on the agenda. The next thing the ghost knows, he's working for a possible war criminal, and the deeper he digs, the more convinced he becomes that Lang is lying about his past. After exchanging a few words with a sharp-eyed old man (Eli Wallach) and a tight-lipped professor (Tom Wilkinson), he realizes his life may also be at risk. Then, while Lang hits the road to proclaim his innocence, the ghost gets to know Ruth better--much better. If the conclusion feels a little glib, Polanksi tightens the screws with skill, McGregor enjoys his best role in years, and Williams proves she's fully prepared to carry a movie of her own. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Product Description
When a gifted ghostwriter (Ewan McGregor) is hired to write the memoirs of former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan), he quickly finds himself trapped in a web of political and sexual intrigue. Lang is implicated in a scandal over his administration's harsh tactics, and as the ghostwriter digs into the politician's past, he discovers secrets that threaten to jeopardize international relations forever. Co-starring Olivia Williams and Kim Cattrall, it is a taut and shocking thriller from acclaimed director Roman Polanski (The Pianist).
DVD Features;
An Interview with Roman Polanski,
The Ghost Writer: Fiction or Reality?,
The Cast of The Ghost Writer
DVD Features;
An Interview with Roman Polanski,
The Ghost Writer: Fiction or Reality?,
The Cast of The Ghost Writer
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
113 of 123 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray
"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 naďve schoolboy by comparison.
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 naďve schoolboy by comparison.
21 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
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.
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.
39 of 50 people found the following review helpful
By Balaji Rajam
Format:DVD
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.
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.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
I need this movie with spanish subtitles
I need this movie and other interesting movies with spanish subtitles, please!
You must think in a very big spanish population that are very good Amazon's customers and would... Read more
You must think in a very big spanish population that are very good Amazon's customers and would... Read more
Published 3 days ago by germanduran
2.0 out of 5 stars
Bloodless Intellectual Exercise Unworthy of Polanski's Best Work
This is not a completely awful movie, just not really worth the trouble you have to take to slog through it to the end. Read more
Published 13 days ago by Clarissa
4.0 out of 5 stars
For the ending, but otherwise a little muddled
The movie starts a little slowly and really doesn't pick up pace until somewhere in the middle. After the Ghost finds out certain things the movie picks up, and the ending is... Read more
Published 13 days ago by TruxtonSpangler
2.0 out of 5 stars
boring
This movie looked really good from preview but was very slow. It had a few exciting parts but otherwise was kind of boring.
Published 13 days ago by Thea M. Jones
3.0 out of 5 stars
was suprised
I was very surprised with the story line, I thought it would be better than it was. It didn't keep my interest.
Published 24 days ago by kathy
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Thriller For Our Time
The Ghost Writer will likely be remembered in the years to come as the film that director Roman Polanski was working on when he became embroiled in an extradition controversy whose... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Matthew Kresal
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Good Tale of Intrigue
If you generally like Polanski's films, you'll probably like this one. THE GHOST WRITER is a low-key, extremely nonviolent, but very compelling poli-thriller. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Doug Park
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well-Acted Political Thriller
"The Ghost Writer" (starring Ewan McGregor, not to be confused with "Ghost Writer" starring David Boreanaz) is one of those films that as soon as you reach the end of it, you... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Ivo Shandor
4.0 out of 5 stars
Decent thriller
Roman Polanski's thriller sees a ghost writer (Ewan McGregor) hired to work with former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan) on his memoirs. Read more
Published 1 month ago by D Brown
3.0 out of 5 stars
bad ending
Didn't like the ending. It was pretty good up until then with a few slow parts. Glad I watched it, but wouldn't watch again.
Published 2 months ago by Heather N. Lord
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