Directed by:
Roman PolańskiCinematography:
Pawel EdelmanComposer:
Alexandre DesplatCast:
Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Kim Cattrall, Olivia Williams, Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Hutton, Jon Bernthal, Tim Preece, Robert Pugh, David Rintoul, Eli Wallach (more)VOD (2)
Plots(1)
When a successful British ghostwriter 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 accident. The ghostwriter 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 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. Lang faces prosecution by the International Criminal Court, unless he stays in the U.S. or goes to another country that does not recognize that court. 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 ghostwriter works, he uncovers 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. Adam Lang is assassinated, but the ghostwriter eventually completes the book anyway. During the presentation of the book, the ghostwriter stumbles upon the clues to the mystery. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (13)
Very well crafted, with a gloomy rainy atmosphere, but pretty much about nothing, unfortunately. Given how relatively (unnecessarily) long it is, it almost lacks a twist or a climax. It has a lot of politically biased commentary, but only one tense scene. I must say that Polanski has quite disappointed me with this film. When it comes to tension, it’s only a weak tea of the genre’s best, though with great execution. Compared to this year’s Shutter Island, The Ghost Writer is the clear loser.
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It is almost admirable how Polanski managed to create a small cinematic treat out of a seemingly dull, shabby and not very exciting premise. Everything from the actors to the pleasantly old-fashioned direction works like a Swiss watch, the tension is not created by flashy moments, strained dialogue or, God forbid, action, but by an omnipresent paranoid atmosphere, the distant setting and the eternally cloudy weather. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't surprised by the final twist (although the film doesn't stand on it) and I applaud Polanski for the ironic slap to the unprepared viewer at the very end. 4,5*.
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Stylish comeback. Inscrutably mysterious plot in an indistinctly attractive environment with an atmosphere of subtle absorption - I expected many things, but definitely not such a self-assured exploration of paranoid moods or political intrigues. That tangible feeling of tightening loops I still can't shake off.
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I almost want to give it more stars, because I haven't seen such a seemingly peaceful, yet every minute more incredibly dramatic and suspenseful film in a long time. Apart from Brosnan and McGregor and the precise direction of Master P., worth highlighting is the truly good music by Alexandre Desplat, the role of Eli Wallach (how does an old man still do that?), the slowly escalating atmosphere and the final quarter of an hour. I'm giving it four and a bit.
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The plot is actually about nothing and the story as a whole is not one of the most thought-provoking and formally unique, but Polanski confirms his qualities and delivers another piece of proper filmmaking, which, hand in hand with an excellent acting duo, is an ideal programme for a long winter evening. I actually don’t see any reason to look for flaws when I had a good time with a well made film...
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