Ghost Writer (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
Regarding 'The Ghost Writer', it is safe to say that: guilty or innocent, banished or accepted ... 76 yr. old director Roman Polanski has still got It. His film, adapted from a Robert Harris novel, opens with a car left abandoned on a Martha's Vineyard ferry while a dead body washes up near the windswept beach house of retired-UK Prime Minister, Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan). Be that as it may, it turns out that the dead body was that of the original ghost writer of Lang's autobiography, & a replacement has to be found immediately to ensure that the publication date can stand. The replacement position goes to our nameless protagonist - who I'll refer to as The Ghost (Ewan McGregor) - who soon finds himself in some deep political horsesh*t.
You see, Adam Lang is at the center of a war crimes scandal with international ramifications that reveal how far he was ready to go to help Britain's 'special relationship' with the U.S. His former political ally Richard Rycart has turned on him. And his wife, Ruth (Olivia Williams, Rushmore, An Education), has lost patience over his apparent affair with head secretary, Amelia (Kim Cattrall). Our 'Ghost' thought he was stepping-in to complete a lucrative, high profile writing contract. Little did he know the secrets he'd uncover, and the web of lies, deceit, & danger that would soon follow.
This film is one of those where you're enjoying it so much AS you're watching it, that you hope it can sustain its level through to the end. And though the ending is okay, I almost didn't care how it would end 'cause I was having such a creepy, devilish time watching it unfold. Like last yrs. State of Play, 'The Ghost Writer' is one of those political thriller/mysteries that are best suited to be watched this time of the year (winter). The mood of the film is chilly, the humor is chilly, the drama is edge-of-your-seat, the climate that the film takes place in is chilly, & I was chilly watching it -- loved that. This movie kept me guessing throughout; engaged. And not unlike last month's Shutter Island, even if we can sort of piece together what's happening, we're never sure if it's correct, or how it will all end.
One of the film's weaknesses is it's relying on coincidence to move the story in a certain direction. This is a straight adaptation from a best-selling novel; so I don't blame the film. But when shown onscreen, it makes the literal word on the page seem less authentic. An example: Eli Wallach plays an old man at a beachside shack who has a 'chance' encounter with The Ghost; giving him a tidbit (in the plot) that never would have been organically figured out otherwise ... preventing the rest of the story to play out. But I digress. This movie does so many things brilliantly that I can't fault it much further. And how Polanski was able to make this film from house arrest in Switzerland is beyond me; his London & Massachusetts locales are very realistic.
When you get down to it, this film thrives because of its smooth, stylish direction (no brainer there), a taut screenplay (that slowly builds suspense as it goes), a dark cinematic atmosphere (full of foreboding portent), & a strong cast. Pierce Brosnan plays the ex-PM in the same kind of handsome, intense, witty, but tired way that one would expect of a washed-up, retired leader. His depiction is not unlike Tony Blair. And the company-backing-war subplot is not unlike the Haliburton scandal that rocked America in 2008. So while the film is completely fictional; I feel that its backbone has real life precedence. There are ironies abounding; even including a house arrest type situation which mirrors Polanski's own life.
Ewan McGregor is solid as the main character (a conduit for our eyes & ears); though, given the amount of danger he's in, his character should have been even more paranoid than he appeared. That said, I loved any scene where he engaged in verbal cat-&-mouse duels. i.e., he & Brosnan, he & Olivia Williams, and particularly he & a wonderfully duplicitous Paul Emmett (played by Tom Wilkinson). God, I loved the entire sequence inside Emmett's study. Best in show, for me, was Olivia Williams' Ruth. Adam may have been PM, & a great mouthpiece, but Ruth had the political brains in the partnership. I just loved Williams' cold, hardened portrayal. A smattering of cameos sprinkle the screen (Timothy Hutton, Jim Belushi). And Tom Wilkinson's aforementioned cameo is scintillatingly good. Every person in the cast plays the "I may or may not know more than I'm letting on" role SO well. They all leave you wondering.
You know, the film requires patience. It's very plot-driven. The mystery unfolds with some contrivances near the end. And some people may not care for the gorgeously realized, yet jarring conclusion. But I repeat, there's just so much to love about 'The Ghost Writer'. The cold, gloomy beach setting of the vacant tourist town couldn't have served this style of movie any better. Alexandre Desplat's inauspicious score is perfect. The film is full of subdued energy & intrigue - even when there's little action going on. And as far as film noirs go, I'd even go as far as saying this is a minor masterpiece; full of dark implications & contemplations.
You see, Adam Lang is at the center of a war crimes scandal with international ramifications that reveal how far he was ready to go to help Britain's 'special relationship' with the U.S. His former political ally Richard Rycart has turned on him. And his wife, Ruth (Olivia Williams, Rushmore, An Education), has lost patience over his apparent affair with head secretary, Amelia (Kim Cattrall). Our 'Ghost' thought he was stepping-in to complete a lucrative, high profile writing contract. Little did he know the secrets he'd uncover, and the web of lies, deceit, & danger that would soon follow.
This film is one of those where you're enjoying it so much AS you're watching it, that you hope it can sustain its level through to the end. And though the ending is okay, I almost didn't care how it would end 'cause I was having such a creepy, devilish time watching it unfold. Like last yrs. State of Play, 'The Ghost Writer' is one of those political thriller/mysteries that are best suited to be watched this time of the year (winter). The mood of the film is chilly, the humor is chilly, the drama is edge-of-your-seat, the climate that the film takes place in is chilly, & I was chilly watching it -- loved that. This movie kept me guessing throughout; engaged. And not unlike last month's Shutter Island, even if we can sort of piece together what's happening, we're never sure if it's correct, or how it will all end.
One of the film's weaknesses is it's relying on coincidence to move the story in a certain direction. This is a straight adaptation from a best-selling novel; so I don't blame the film. But when shown onscreen, it makes the literal word on the page seem less authentic. An example: Eli Wallach plays an old man at a beachside shack who has a 'chance' encounter with The Ghost; giving him a tidbit (in the plot) that never would have been organically figured out otherwise ... preventing the rest of the story to play out. But I digress. This movie does so many things brilliantly that I can't fault it much further. And how Polanski was able to make this film from house arrest in Switzerland is beyond me; his London & Massachusetts locales are very realistic.
When you get down to it, this film thrives because of its smooth, stylish direction (no brainer there), a taut screenplay (that slowly builds suspense as it goes), a dark cinematic atmosphere (full of foreboding portent), & a strong cast. Pierce Brosnan plays the ex-PM in the same kind of handsome, intense, witty, but tired way that one would expect of a washed-up, retired leader. His depiction is not unlike Tony Blair. And the company-backing-war subplot is not unlike the Haliburton scandal that rocked America in 2008. So while the film is completely fictional; I feel that its backbone has real life precedence. There are ironies abounding; even including a house arrest type situation which mirrors Polanski's own life.
Ewan McGregor is solid as the main character (a conduit for our eyes & ears); though, given the amount of danger he's in, his character should have been even more paranoid than he appeared. That said, I loved any scene where he engaged in verbal cat-&-mouse duels. i.e., he & Brosnan, he & Olivia Williams, and particularly he & a wonderfully duplicitous Paul Emmett (played by Tom Wilkinson). God, I loved the entire sequence inside Emmett's study. Best in show, for me, was Olivia Williams' Ruth. Adam may have been PM, & a great mouthpiece, but Ruth had the political brains in the partnership. I just loved Williams' cold, hardened portrayal. A smattering of cameos sprinkle the screen (Timothy Hutton, Jim Belushi). And Tom Wilkinson's aforementioned cameo is scintillatingly good. Every person in the cast plays the "I may or may not know more than I'm letting on" role SO well. They all leave you wondering.
You know, the film requires patience. It's very plot-driven. The mystery unfolds with some contrivances near the end. And some people may not care for the gorgeously realized, yet jarring conclusion. But I repeat, there's just so much to love about 'The Ghost Writer'. The cold, gloomy beach setting of the vacant tourist town couldn't have served this style of movie any better. Alexandre Desplat's inauspicious score is perfect. The film is full of subdued energy & intrigue - even when there's little action going on. And as far as film noirs go, I'd even go as far as saying this is a minor masterpiece; full of dark implications & contemplations.