Ghost Writer Grade: A
If good movies were enough to give leniency at sentencing, then director Roman Polanski deserves a full pardon for “The Ghost Writer.” Self-conscious but never too serious, the expertly paced thriller is as clever as they come.
Ewan McGregor gives a finely tuned and excellently understated performance as the ghost writer brought in to complete the memoir of former Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan). Known only as the ghost, McGregor’s character is quickly and inexorably pulled into Lang’s orbit of intrigue and mystery when Lang is accused of war crimes. The ensuing plot is humorous even as it is deadly serious, expertly underplaying itself. It is a story rooted in deception but self-aware enough to maintain a fascinating sense of humor throughout the length of the two-hour run time.
The film knows exactly how to reveal itself piece by achingly-paced piece to a puzzle that doesn’t discern itself until the final minutes. It’s a pace beautifully complemented by McGregor’s acting as a talented writer who is nevertheless completely out of his depth. He is a man as baffled by what’s happening as we are, yet McGregor never overdoes it. His character is not afraid of his own shadow, but he certainly has every reason to look over his shoulder and stumble around in the dark. He is a fairly ordinary man in an extraordinary situation, completely unsure of himself and his surroundings as events far above the pay grade of a ghost writer unfold around him.
McGregor is by far the strongest part of the movie. Brosnan is strong but perhaps too strong, never really believable as a former leader of the United Kingdom. He has the mannerisms and the attitude of a man out of touch with a world he was once king of, but never fully settles into the role. Equally jarring is his chief of staff Amelia Bly, played by Kim Cattrall of “Sex in the City” fame. Cattrall adopts an accent for the role that sounds entirely unnatural despite the fact that she was born in England. The rest of the cast is excellent even as Brosnan and Cattrall give good, but not great, performances. Olivia Williams, Timothy Hutton, Tom Wilkinson and even a surprising turn by James Belushi are all thoroughly fascinating on screen.
Taking place over the course of only a matter of days, the film expertly comes back on itself. It takes great pleasure in toying with the audience, building great suspense with minimal action, instead taking its time in descending down the rabbit hole. Even as we fall, the audience is continually perplexed and fascinated as events unfold. The film goes from hints to revelations and back again with ease, seemingly revealing all its cards only to continually blitz the audience with ever more daring reveals until the last moments of the movie. The result is a finely tuned mystery and thriller that manages to make amusing but incredibly serious cracks about everything and everyone.
“The Ghost Writer” is not an energetic movie. It bides its time, holding the audience’s attention with excellent but understated acting from its lead players as it builds on the suspense and the mystery, never failing to satisfy in the reveals or the tension. It is a mystery that intrigues and engages the audience from the first image to the final credits.
You can reach this staff writer at bkoenig@theeagleonline.com.
