The Ghost Writer

I had seen the film before on tv and at the time wasn't particularly impressed. I didn't think I'd revisit it, but with new releases few and far between these days I decided to give it another go. And I'm glad I did. This time around I watched with close attention to detail and surprised myself by liking it very much. It's a very solid mystery thriller with an intelligent plot, an exciting cast and beautiful cinematography, masterfully brought together by Polanski's direction. Mind you, you really need to pay attention to fully appreciate all that's going on. This is mostly slow drama with only a few moments of fast paced action. However, the build up of tension is expertly done and whenever a short burst of action occurs it does make a real impact.The story of the ghost writer for a former British PM gives an interesting insight in the life of the high and mighty and the political spin that goes on behind the facade. A short scene where the newly arrived "ghost" is matter-of-factly tasked with formulating a momentous statement for immediate public release is very telling. In a time when we all love to hate high profile politicians and are quite aware of the lies their lives are, this story works a treat.The casting is inspired. Pierce Brosnan has the just the right kind of good looks and slightly smarmy charisma to make us both fall under the spell of the slippery politician he portrays and despise him, at the same time and to the same extent. Also, it's always a joy to see him, even he doesn't actually have an awful lot of screen time here. Ewan McGregor is the real lead, and he is absolutely perfect for the inconspicuous ghost writer, totally unimpressed with the trapppings of power, for whom the memoir of this particular politician is just another job. He is very good playing characters like this and he is both likable and relatable as the hapless ghost who becomes far more involved in this dark tale of corruption than he bargained for. Of the ladies, I absolutely loved Olivia Williams as the Ex-PM's acerbic wife. Kim Cattrall is as the PA cum mistress is fine but not particularly memorable. Also fun to see the late and great Eli Wallach in a small cameo, one of his last appearances on the silver screen.Good film and definitely worth checking out if you haven't seen it. Also if you are a fan of any of the leading actors.The DVD I purchased ("The Ghost", Optimum Home Entertainment UK/Ireland release with white background on cover) is very nice. Picture and sound are good. It has English subtitles for those who may want or need them. Also included are the following extra features:~~~ The Cast of the Ghost Featurette~~~ The Ghost: Fiction or Reality Featurette~~~ World Premiere in Berlin~~~ Interviews with Pierce Brosnan, Ewan McGregor, Olivia Williams, Robert Harris and Roman Polanski

I like politics, American or British. This screenplay has echoes of Tony Blair, after his tenure of office, facing accusatiion of wrongdoing. He is undertaking to collaborate on his biography. Into the mix comes an author, hired to replace his predecessor who has died in an accident. The ghostwriter is played by Ewan mcgregor. The ex prime minister is Prince Brosnan. What the ghostwriter uncovers makes for a very good thriller indeed. The plot twist at the very end takes you very much by surprise.

The ghost in this movie is Ruth Lang who arranges the engagement of a replacement ghost writer to the former ghost writer of her husband's memoirs, to keep it unlikely that her role as a ghost-in-the-machine, CIA mole, remains undiscovered. Ewan McGregor plays the man-with-no-name ghost writer who replaces Mike McAra, the dead--apparently from suicide--former ghost writer, Downing Street aide and friend to former British Prime Minister Adam Lang.The movie is technically excellent and clearly demonstrates the capabilities of European cinema. This movie may appear somewhat slight, but it is much more substantial than it seems. Roman Polanski (in the special features section) says that this is a movie for adults. True enough, so long as the demography of the adults, does not extend beyond the borderline juvenile.That sniping, aside, Roman Polanski and writing partner Robert Harris, could have added substantially more beef, beyond that which was barely alluded to (the brief discussion between Adam Lang and the ghost writer on the short flight back to Island, just before Adam Lang is assassinated)), without too much extra effort. The dialogue is mostly plain vanilla, but this may be necessary to avoid complications when translated into German, etc.Other commentators have complained about Ewan McGregor's British accent. He sounded quite like the writer and broadcaster Tony Parsons, to me.

It is worth getting this DVD just for the opening scenes. A ferry arrives at night at a dock, the jaws of the ferry open to reveal and abandoned vehicle, the body of a dead ghost writer washes up on a bleak sea shore. An ex-Prime Minister ( presumably based on Tony Blair) is in exile in a bleak modernist house on one of those holiday islands that line the East Coast of New England (actually filmed, because of Polanski's troubles with the US authorities, somewhere on the Baltic coast). It's mid winter, the island and its towns are almost empty and into this desolate landscape a new ghost writer (Ewan McGregor) arrives to complete the job of rewriting the prime ministers memoirs. He soon gets involved in the politics of this strange household and eventually discovers more about the Prime Minister's past and his Lady McBeth-like wife than he bargained for. So far so good, but in the final third of the film the story line gets more and more complicated and more far fetched.

Closer to the the truth than we might care to admit! I am surprised Polanski got away with it! much more than simply a "thriller"! 'Ghost' is equal in truth to le Carre's 'Absolute Friends' Why are the Brits so squeamish about the truth? It might not be "factual" but Polanski tells the truth! A higher cause than the facts! Brilliant! I've seen it now a number of times. Each time it gets better!