MOVIE REVIEW ... THE GHOST WRITER

MOVIE REVIEW ...

THE GHOST WRITER

It’s very difficult dissecting a Roman Polanski film without talking about the man himself.  Such has been his tumultuous personal life that a lot of the darkness which has surrounded him has crept into most of his works.  His latest directorial effort has been no different as it has been shrouded in controversy due to his arrest while completing it.  That it manages to withstand the spectre of his troubles and stand on its own merits is a credit to its strong story full of the shadowy intrigue that has plagued much of its director’s existence.

 A writer (Ewan McGregor) is hired to draft the memoirs of former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan).  Accepting the challenge he begins working at Lang’s isolated mansion.  Whilst writing and dealing with Lang’s wife Ruth (Olivia Williams) and icy assistant Amelia (Kim Cattrall) he learns of the death of the previous ghost-writer who died in mysterious circumstances.  Discovering the manuscript the deceased was working on, he comes across a secret linking Lang to war crimes.  Fearing for his life and caught in a web of deception, he attempts to free himself from its deadly grasp.

 

When done well, political thrillers can be fantastic rides.  The Ghost Writer is no exception due to Polanski’s accomplished direction.  The gloomy setting, the atmospheric score and excellent ability in generating true suspense reveals his keen eye for ensuring these add immeasurably to the finely tuned screenplay.  Adapted from Robert Harris’ book, the quality of the script and production values elevates a potentially workmanlike film into an engaging cinematic puzzle.

 Its cast bring a fine blend of percolating menace and stoic conviction to their roles as each play vital roles in the mystery.  Unnamed throughout, McGregor’s character is essentially an observer – a blank page on which to decipher the enigma of Lang’s existence.  Having scratched some of the surface, what he finds forcefully drags him into a scenario testing his intellect.  While everyone is uniformly excellent, it’s pleasing seeing Brosnan in a more substantial role proving he has the range to portray harder characters.

The Ghost Writer is a very enjoyable nail-biter and a return to form for Polanski.  Whether he can further swim the tide of personal controversy to further deliver similarly fine films remains to be seen, although his latest shows his professional abilities shows no sign of waning.

Movie Review Rating 8 / 10

Movie Review by Patrick Moore

The Ghost Writer released in Australia on Thursday 12 August 2010.

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