Stylish and gripping, The Ghost Writer features a master filmmaker at his very best and a story writhing in personal vendetta.
That is because this film is based on The Ghost, written by political journalist and former Tony Blair supporter Robert Harris.
The latter is of the most importance, because it was indeed Blair and his alliance with George W. Bush which incensed and disenchanted Harris to write his novel, only for it to become a best seller and –as seen here- adapted to a feature film by none other than Roman Polanski.
It seems that not only is revenge a dish best served cold, but it can also lead to big things.
The film focuses on an unnamed writer (Ewan McGregor) who has landed the prime gig of “ghosting” the memoirs of former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan).
Where the Blair connection comes into play is when Lang is accused of war crimes for his part in the extradition & torture of four British citizens at the hands of the CIA. Cue Lang shaking hands with a Condoleezza Rice look-a-like in a symbol of defiance against his detractors.
Stuck in the eye of a political storm, McGregor’s apolitical ghost tries to make sense of the whole mess while delving head first into a mystery involving the murder of his predecessor.
It is a plot point that Polanski has excelled at throughout his career, with Chinatown through to The Ninth Gate featuring disinterested men turned obsessive sleuths, and for his part McGregor delivers a fine performance, filled with the charm and humour missing in so many of his Hollywood vehicles.
Also good is Bronson as the Blair-esque Lang (notching up quite a post-Bond career with another fine turn), and Olivia Williams as Lang’s dutiful wife, proving that behind every “great” man is a great woman.
Yet it is the personal investment of its filmmakers which makes The Ghost Writer that much more of an engrossing watch.
As Lang’s ex-PM is held up in his New York estate while riding out accusations of crime against humanity, so too has Polanski been in exile for his own crimes, with Germany standing in for America and London.
Polanski’s frustrations at his decades long situation often creeps into The Ghost Writer’s celluloid world, and it is to his credit that it doesn’t distract but enhances the film.
After all, this is a movie spawned by anger, bitterness, and sense of injustice. It seems that Polanski doesn’t want Harris to have all of the fun, and his well crafted spiel is our gain. |