The Ghost Writer's Glimmers of Old Polanski Magic

A A A Comments (4) By Nicolas Rapold Tuesday, Feb 16 2010

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The Ghost Writer
Directed by Roman Polanski
Summit Entertainment
Opens February 19

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It's hard not to picture Polanski under house arrest in Gstaad editing his diverting new thriller, in which a former British prime minister dodges extradition while having his memoirs rewritten. Then again, when your life is like a mash-up of the History Channel's entire catalog of shock programming, autobiography will probably influence your fictions, and Polanski seems inspired as he maintains implausible momentum with a cloudy premise. Ewan McGregor diffidently plays the so-called ghost to exiled politician Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan), living in cushioned seclusion off the gray New England coast. The writer is hacking through the bombast left by his (dead) predecessor when Lang's past war-on-terrorism overstepping raises Blair-style static. Saved by often delightfully bitchy British dialogue, the movie sees McGregor's (arbitrarily written) semi-naif stumbling onto conspiracies and dueling with Lang's wife and mistress (Olivia Williams and Kim Cattrall, both sharp). What actually happens is less important than the barest glimmers of that old Polanski magic: ambient paranoia (aided by the Cul-de-Sac–y land's-end setting) and uneven power struggles (one involving a very crafty Tom Wilkinson as an old Lang associate). The wrap-up is one strange, ah-fuggit mess, on top of Google-powered plot moves, but Polanski's work therapy could have been a lot worse.

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Jack 04/02/2011 12:32:00 PM

It was pathetic. AND no one hates Bush/Blair more than I...but absurd plot and Kim Catrall (sp?) whose accent came and went...Chinatown is one of my all-time favorites movies, Ghost Writer is on another list...all-time waste of time.
Stevejanas 12/26/2010 9:20:00 PM

I rather liked it, mostly for its tone and suspense. I agree with the comments on the plot holes, though. The ending in particular puzzled me. What exactly was Ewan McGreggor's character gaining at the end when he tipped his hand to people he knew could kill him secretly and with impunity?
armchairdictator 04/05/2010 3:58:00 AM

This review was rubbish, unfortunately. Kim Cattral is best doing Sex and the City. Her British accent was atrocious and she keeps losing it throughout the film. There was negative chemistry between her and Pierce Brosnan and the casting was laughable. "Implausible premise" is putting it mildly. Every liberal critic is in love with yet another banal anti-Bush and anti-USA conspiracy film. The plot holes are so large and obvious that you'll wonder whether this is meant to be a bad, campy comedy. The great crew of actors is left phoning in performances. My favorite - a ghost writer is being paid a ridiculous sum of money to deal with a most secret topic. The prior writer was murdered... something deadly is about. Does the highly sought after ghost writer stay in the huge, highly secure home of the billionaire? Or does he stay in the old, ramshackle motel at the side of the road where intrigue and skullduggery may occur? Take a guess. Embarrassing film. I wish I could have my money and time back. Tell it like it is. Polansky is an old embarrassment these days.
Foster 03/07/2010 12:55:00 PM

Oh good. Finally a critic I respect who actually saw this ridiculous absurdity of a movie the way I did. Yes, it was all Hitchcockian tone (with none of the coherence of Hitchcock) and feel and all the rest of it, the plot, dialog and characters were all confused, cliche-ridden, and cartoonish.