REVIEW: ‘The Ghost Writer’

“The Ghost Writer” Rated PG-13 • 128 minutes Starring Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Olivia Williams, Kim Cattrall Written and Directed by: Roman Polanski RCC Rating: Worth Seeing At A Matinee

Equal parts political subterfuge and classic whodunit, “The Ghost Writer” is a surprisingly solid film, and the best work that Roman Polanski has done in years. Written and directed by Polanski, the movie has snappy dialogue, an intriguing plot and top-notch performances by the entire cast.

Former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan) is in the midst of writing his memoirs when his ghost writer drowns under dubious circumstances. Another writer (Ewan McGregor) is hired to complete the project under a crippling deadline, and the watchful eye of Lang’s executive assistant (Kim Cattrall) and his wife (Olivia Williams). The urgency of the project is kicked up several dozen notches when Lang is charged with aiding in the torture of terrorism suspects. While Lang deals with the PR fallout, the new ghost writer is left to his own devices, and begins to realize the death of his predecessor was even shadier than he was led to believe.

“The Ghost Writer” could have easily been a boring, stodgy movie with very little humanity, but it’s to Polanski’s credit that there’s a pulse and sense of humor to the whole affair. I did not expect to get as many healthy laughs as I did from the movie, but credit the script and each leading cast member for delivering.

The whole movie seems cast in a gray pall, whether in Cape Cod, where the weather seemed to either be threatening to rain or bringing it down in buckets, or in London, where the absence of color is often par for the course. It’s a sly nod to the plot, where nothing is ever truly black or white.

Yes, there are a few parallels between Lang and real-life former British PM Tony Blair, who was accused numerous times of being complicit with American president George W. Bush’s transgressions in the War On Terror. They mostly occur in the background, however, and the film doesn’t take great pains to judge one way or the other.

A minor quibble: there’s a conscious decision by Polanski to soften the language just enough to avoid an R rating. The changes in dialogue are a little abrupt, substituting “f-bombs” for other profanities that are just as strong. The mouth movements of the actors are still visible in most instances, making the edits jarring and questionable. (Really, is aiming for the 13 – 17 year old age bracket the smartest thing to do for a Roman Polanski movie?)

As long as the viewer is willing to leave preconceptions about the controversial Polanski outside the theater, they’ll be in for a treat. “The Ghost Writer” is a decent potboiler, and well worth your time.