The Ghost Writer (2010)
France, Germany, UK 128m, Colour
Director: Roman Polanski; Cast: Ewan McGregor, Pierce Bronson, Olivia Williams and Kim Cattrall.
The Ghost Writer is a clever weaving of recent political history and fictional events which are intended to account for the close political relations between the previous governments of the United States and Great Britain. The underlying plot, which links the former British Prime Minister to the CIA, thrusts a well-paid, but reluctant ghost writer, played by Ewan McGregor, into an investigation which resulted in the death of his predecessor. Although the truth is eventually revealed to both the ghost writer and to the audience, the film’s unexpected and amusing conclusion remains fittingly ambiguous. Supported by a brilliant score, The Ghost Writer has a Hitchcock feel which is entertaining from start to finish (Klaus Ming September 2010).
5 comments on “The Ghost Writer (2010)”
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This was the first film we attended at the film festival. Interestingly it was subtitled in Basque – which must have been overlooked by the dozen or so people who left soon after it began.
We caught Neds last night – I hope to review tomorrow.
i didn’t find the ending ambiguous. perhaps i was missing something?
Without giving away the ending for those who haven’t yet seen the movie, I suspect that we don’t know who was responsible for the incident which sent the manuscript into the air – was it merely an accident? Likewise, did the final incident result in the truth coming out?
To further tease the ending, I guess, it’s ambiguous in a way that’s very similar to Three Days of the Condor, Which is a good thing.
I liked this movie. Good cast. In addition to the main cast, Eli Wallach and Tom Wilkinson are tremendous in smaller roles. And it seems to maintain the correct distance from real events — close enough to be pointed without being so close as to seem literal.
Somehow, other than Chinatown, I tend to see Polanski’s less popular films (I’ve never seen Rosemary’s Baby or The Pianist). With this and The Ninth Gate, though, that’s worked out pretty well. 🙂
I’ve not re-watched the Ghost Writer and admit now that it is not one of Polanski’s most memorable films, though i do recall enjoying it – which probably had something to do with the venue 🙂
Up next, for Halloween: The Fearless Vampire Killers, or Pardon Me, But Your Teeth Are in My Neck (1967)