The Ghost Writer

The Ghost Writer (2010)

RATING 7.5/10

BOTTOM LINE: The stellar cast and Polanski’s deliberate direction make this an entertaining thriller of Hitchcockian style, despite being somewhat slow in places and ending on a downer.

THE GOOD: Director Roman Polanski has pulled off a thriller that is definitely inspired by a Hitchcock style of filmmaking that is quite refreshing, especially considering other films of the same ilk. Ewan McGregor plays the unnamed Ghost Writer who is hired to write the memoirs for former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan). It all appears simple enough to begin with, but a mystery starts with Lang’s previous ghost writer committing suicide, and McGregor’s ghost writer slowly unearthing more details of Lang’s life which lead him on a dangerous journey to discover the truth. McGregor is in fine form as the curious ghost writer who unearths Lang’s disturbing past. Pierce Brosnan is a great fit as the ex-prime minister, while Olivia Williams brings a frosty toughness to the proceedings as Lang’s wife, who is a mysterious character in her own right. The structure of the film, as mentioned before, follows a Hitchcock-like approach as the ghost writer stumbles upon one piece of the puzzle at a time, with each piece complicating the mystery and tension as it builds to its inevitable conclusion. There is also the focus on a central protagonist where everything is filtered through him and his interpretation of the events. Another refreshing touch on this film is that it makes no allusions that it is drawing inspiration from the Tony Blair-George Bush collaboration, even to go as far as having a Condoleezza Rize lookalike in one of the news reports, and a Robin Cook look-a-like playing a pivotal role as ex-foreign secretary, and also alluding to Lang’s devotion to American political interests. “The Ghost Writer” is an entertaining thriller.

THE BAD: The length of the film is an issue. It does feel too long in places, particularly where there are many scenes of isolation where characters, particularly the ghost writer, are the only ones in frame. And although the climax of the film is inevitable, and is done in a particularly artistic and interesting way, it is also a downer which in essence refutes the entire journey that the ghost writer has taken in order to discover the truth.

Todd Murphy <br />
http://www.allaboutmovies.net

The Ghost Writer

Simply entitled The Ghost for its UK release (after its source material, the bestselling novel by Robert Harris), The Ghost Writer sees much-maligned director Roman Polanski returning to the top of his game.

There's not much to add about Polanski's private life that hasn't already been raked over by the tabloid press, but The Ghost Writer proves that there's more to him than scandals and media rabble-rousing.  This is one of the finest thrillers of the year, a harkback to Alfred Hitchcock's  most gripping political movies that nonetheless remains entirely  contemporary in its details and its themes. Think of it as the world's  first Hitchcockian Iraq War thriller.

Ewan McGregor is Polanski's James Stewart,  the bumbling but likable everyman who's thrown into a web of deceit  that's outside his control. McGregor plays the ghost writer of the  title, a nameless author who's called in to help tidy up the  autobiography of British ex-Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan).  Lang is in the headlines due to allegations that he illegally handed  over prisoners to the CIA, so our intrepid writer is urged to turn the  manuscript around inside a month.

When he's sent out to America to stay with Lang and work on the book,  however, things turn out to be less simple. The previous  collaborator has been found washed up on a nearby beach under suspicious  circumstances, and it isn't long before our hero starts to fear for his  own life. When he unearths a potential connection between Lang and a  suspected CIA agent (Tom Wilkinson) it looks as if more than his own fate may be at stake.

The Ghost Writer is a rather old-fashioned character-led  thriller that takes its time to develop, carefully building its  characters and the intricate web of relationships along the way. If  you're expecting a James Bond-style espionage-action movie then you'll  be sorely disappointed, but Polanski offers us something far more  challenging, and more satisfying. This is a movie that hooks you with  its story rather than its explosive effects.

For all its slow pace and extended moments of silence, however, The Ghost Writer remains riveting viewing, largely thanks to the central performances of  McGregor and Brosnan. Both have been guilty of cheesy over-acting in  the past, but here they perform with subtlety and grace, building the  complex characters that help keep us intrigued from start to finish.

As for the rest of the cast, the often-underrated Olivia Williams is perfect as Lang's long-suffering wife, while Sex And The City's  Kim Cattrall is an unexpected but rewarding choice as his overpowering  aide. Watch out for a brief cameo by James Belushi too, as the  publishing mogul who hires McGregor's writer for the assignment.

The pacing could still have been tightened up a little, and at times The Ghost Writer meanders away from its main story, but this is an engrossing,  intelligent thriller that asks some truly contemporary questions about  political dishonesty and the monstrously long arm of the CIA. Even if  the obvious parallels with Tony Blair pass you by entirely, this is a  thriller that feels entirely current, even as it mines the atmosphere of  Hitchcock's finest.

However you feel about Roman Polanski, this is indisputably his finest  work in years. Forget what's been written about him in the press and let  the movie talent speak for itself.

4/5

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Ghost Writer, The (Roman Polanski, 2010)

THE SCOOP
Director: Roman Polanski
Plot: A ghostwriter hired to complete the memoirs of a former British prime minister uncovers secrets that put his own life in jeopardy.

Genre: Drama/Mystery/Thriller
Awards: Won Silver Bear (Best Director) and nominated for Golden Bear (Berlin).
Runtime: 128min
Rating: NC16 for language, brief nudity/sexuality, some violence and a drug reference.

IN RETROSPECT
Roman Polanski is back in fine form. His new film, The Ghost Writer, is well-received by critics and won the Silver Bear for Best Director at Berlin. With the exception of The Pianist (2002), one of the great WWII films, and since The Tenant (1976), Polanski’s films have ranged from the decent to the frustrating, but are mostly unmemorable and not the kind associated with the acclaimed director of Chinatown (1974), Rosemary’s Baby (1968), and Repulsion (1965).

The Ghost Writer harbors a return to the “golden era” of Polanski’s career. It may be modern cinema starring popular contemporary actors as Pierce Brosnan and Ewan McGregor, but its direction and approach remains old-schooled and its craftsmanship fundamentally solid. This is the work of a filmmaker trained in the lost art of movie storytelling, where strong direction (and misdirection) is the key to captivating audiences rather than using gimmicky effects that reduce films to cheap experiences.

McGregor plays The Ghost, a ghost writer hired to edit the memoirs of former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (Brosnan) who is facing charges of crimes against humanity. The Ghost replaces another ghost writer who penned the memoirs but suspiciously drowned in an “accident” that is mysteriously unsettling. As The Ghost digs deeper into the situation, he uncovers information that would threaten his life. Polanski pens the screenplay based on the novel “The Ghost” by Robert Harris.

The Ghost Writer is built on suspense filmmaking and has its influences strongly rooted in Hitchcock. Even the music accompaniment composed by the omnipresent Alexandre Desplat channels Hermann (who composed for some of Hitchcock’s greatest films), proving his versatility once again after channeling Morricone in Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009).

Some wide shots are a homage to the “crop-duster” sequence in North by Northwest (1959), not in action but in mood setting. Polanski places The Ghost ala Cary Grant’s Roger O. Thornhill in remote areas waiting for someone or something ominous to happen. In The Ghost Writer, Polanski trades the hot and dusty surroundings with chilly, rainy, and gloomy weather.

Most obvious of all, Polanski tries to return to familiar territory that is Chinatown. Many parallels can be drawn of which I would list a few. The leads in both films climb over a high fence to escape in a critical moment; they serve a client whose close associates/family members could be suspects and the client employs stereotypical Asians as housekeepers; a dead body is also discovered and apparently drowned in the waters.

The lead performance by McGregor is low-key yet sharp enough to invite empathy as we fear for his character’s life. The supporting cast is quite strong of which most credit should go to Brosnan who manages to shake away his “Bond” tag and become Lang. Olivia Williams also gives a good account of herself playing Ruth, the strong-willed wife of Lang.

Another interesting subplot (but of no relation to the film) is Polanski’s identification with Lang’s situation. Both of them face criminal charges (Polanski for statutory rape committed more than three decades ago). The director pokes fun at the irony that Lang could seek refuge in the US but he could not.

The final shot is a powerful reminder that Polanski is still a master of his own fate. While many would lament its possible illogicality and farcical outcome, it is important to realize that this is a shot only a true filmmaker would have envisioned. It closes the film tragically (another Chinatown reference) and ties up all loose ends, yet it opens countless interpretative possibilities.

The Ghost Writer is an excellent motion picture. There are no loud explosions, heavy gunfights, incomprehensible quick cutting, and bad one-liners. It is a painful jab in the gut for the MTV generation whose main diet of movies have any one or all of the above mentioned. Polanski goes back in time and pulls another rabbit out of his quite shopworn hat. This is, without question, a top-notch suspense thriller.

SCORE: 8.5/10
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Recommendations: Toy Story 3 (Lee Unkrich, 2010), To Kill a Mockingbird (Robert Mulligan, 1962), The Visitor

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Last updated: 2010-06-08 21:50:04 by eternality_tan

Review: The Ghost Writer

Like Martin Scorsese and his SHUTTER ISLAND before him, Roman Polanski has created with THE GHOST WRITER, a movie that, though above your regular thriller, doesn't try to be anything but what it is: a sophisticated, entertaining popcorn film.  If this continues, we may have ourselves a new genre: the summer blockbuster for the intellectual crowd.

THE GHOST WRITER isn't as cool as SHUTTER, or as mysteriously bizarre; it's not even creepy, but it is effective and satisfying....to a point.
The spoiler free plot (the movie is an adaptation of Robert Harris' novel The Ghost) follows a writer (excellent Ewan McGregor) who takes the assignment of ghost writing the memoirs of Britain's former Prime Minister (Pierce Brosnan) after the former ghost writer appeared to have committed suicide. The Prime M. finds himself under investigation of war crimes and as you can imagine, things aren't exactly as how they appear.
The awesomeness of these intellectual popcorn films, is that the plot, the acting, the direction.... it all gets constructed in such way, that you really believe that there's much more going on than what it actually happens.  You can guess the plot (I did), but the movie has so much fun with itself that you don't necessarily catch it if you aren't actively looking for the clues, and are instead, just sitting back and letting everything unspoiled at its own pace.
Kim Cattrall, doing a passable british accent, Olivia Williams, and Tom Wilkinson are all great in supporting roles, especially Williams as the wife of Pierce's Prime Minister. I sort of liked how she let no minute go by without bluntly insulting Cattrall's character (the Prime M personal assistant and head of staff) and flat-out calling her out for being the mistress of her husband.  And look for Jim Belushi looking unrecognizable.
This type of movies may not win an Oscar, but thanks to the pedigree of the directors behind them, they just might give adults over 40 (let's face it, its main audience) a reason to get to the theaters more often, and with enough B.O success, just might inspire other high-profile directors to follow Scorsese and Polanski's footsteps.  Grade: B.

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The Ghost Writer

Other than "Rosemary's  Baby" and "Chinatown,"  I knew nothing of Roman  Polanski's work, and the truly odd collection of Polanski films that  the Alamo Drafthouse was using as  its pre-movie  entertainment was beginning to make me nervous.  I had nothing to be  nervous about though.  Polanski is obviously a master and "The Ghost Writer" is  proof. 


     "The Ghost Writer" is  about, well, a ghost  writer (they never say his name!) played by Ewan McGregor.  He is  contracted to finish the memoir of fictional British Prime Minister, Adam  Lang, played by Pierce  Brosnan.  The memoir is unfinished because the previous ghost  writer is now a ghost, and the circumstances of his death become  increasingly intriguing the deeper McGregor's character gets into the  life of Brosnan's Blair/Bush like Prime Minister.  There is an  incredible amount of intrigue and mystery and just when you think you  know where everything is going, the rug gets pulled out from under you. 

     Everything about this film is absolutely  brilliant.  Polanski's writing and directing are amazing, Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, and Olivia Williams, as  Lang's wife, are all thoroughly engaging and convincing, the story is  all intrigue and mystery, the ending is surprising, shocking, and coldly  morbid, yet all too real, and the entire movie mirrors real life almost  too accurately.  I'm sorry if I'm being a bit general, but I don't want  to ruin a moment of this suspense masterpiece.

     "The Ghost Writer" is a  thoroughly engaging and masterfully executed suspense thriller and well  worth seeing again and again. 

Brian
Ciné Critique Américain

The Ghost Writer- Polanski's Successful Return to Form as a Master of Subtle Suspense

Director Roman Polanski has been in the news recently for more unfortunate and personal circumstances rather than being noticed for his abilities as a filmmaker. In fact, only one film in the past 20 years has actually gotten critical and award praise, which was his somewhat autobiographical World War II film The Pianist back in 2004. All of Polanski’s notoriety practically disappeared with him that is until his latest thriller entitled The Ghost Writer. Already this year there has been a number of thrillers such as Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island and Martin Campbell’s Edge of Darkness but Polanski’s concentration on combining his use of technical subtlety and trust with actors gives The Ghost Writer a heads up from its competition. Acting as more of a Polanski version of a Hitchcock film rather than borrowing technique as homage, Polanski calls upon his earlier works such as the psychologically thrilling Repulsion and the complex and devious undercurrents in Chinatown to make a gripping yet politically biased thriller. Perhaps beginning rather slowly and taking a while for the characters to recognize what is completely obvious to the audience from the beginning, the second half of the film passes this by with a gorgeous display of mood, subtle technique that builds suspense with delicate camera work rather than editing, and an appropriate use of exaggerated character that allows the actors to freely create their own lasting personas. Sometimes thrillers treat the audience as though they are children but The Ghost Writer expects patience, a little knowledge of modern history, and an appreciation for tactfully built upon suspense.
            The film opens with an intriguing if not grim shot of a corpse swaying in the waves on the shore of a beach outside of Martha’s Vineyard. This obvious signal to a mysterious death shouldn’t shock anybody that there is foul play afoot and the film doesn’t pretend for it to be that vague. We learn that this dead man was a Ghost Writer for British Prime Minister Adam Lang’s memoirs, played marvelously by a riveting and almost controlled chaotic Pierce Brosnan, who has a replacement Ghost Writer, a never named protagonist played by an equally resilient Ewan McGregor. Based on a book by Robert Harris, who also helped write the screenplay with Roman Polanski, the film allows for the murder mystery to take full swing once the introductions and political ties are established. One of the main story elements involving the Prime Minister being brought into an International Criminal Court because of rendition is far from being plausible, but luckily this is just the undercurrent of the story making Polanski’s political leanings more of a side note rather than a lecture. Putting the politics aside and focusing on the murder, which becomes more and more intriguing as the facts and theories come together, makes for an intriguing adult thriller that utilizes character, technique, and tone to accentuate the strengths of the story at hand.
            The thriller is an extremely technical sort of genre that needs drastic pre-production organization and masterful post-production attention to deliver a successfully coherent suspense film. Polanski has certainly planned everything out here with his shots and lighting, because every scene’s mood is pitch perfect and the camera seems to revolve around the actors to build suspense rather than succumb to editing to artificially make it. The framing and shot sequences are clearly reminiscent of Polanski’s thriller successes such as Repulsion and Rosemary’s Baby while the mood is definitely taking from his established strengths from Chinatown and his Polish film Knife in the Water. It’s been a long while for thrillers to not depend on action and shock value and instead use technique and subtle direction to guide the audience with a gullible but likeable protagonist. The Ghost Writer would fall more in line with 70s thrillers such as The Conversation or The Parallax View instead of all the modern noirs that are trying to be representative of the genre instead of actually being it. There are many weaknesses to name, such as the plausibility of the political issue or some overstated acting points, but the film as a whole is a better take on the noir and thriller genre that doesn’t depend on cheap action surprises, one dimensional villains, or even overstated music (the Bernard Herrman-esque score is intense yet understated).
            Speaking of one dimensional characters The Ghost Writer is not a film that has them. Sure some of the actors fulfill certain roles, such as Kim Cattrell’s pompous yet sensual assistant, but most of them, especially Pierce Brosnan’s exceptional performance, showcase some remarkable performances. Brosnan should be recognized for this complex role because our expectations never come to fruition in any case, making his beliefs sometimes seem questionable and at other times honorable. Polanski has always worked with actors well and here is evidence that he can still do it if allowed to continue his work though justice for one’s punishment is still preferable to this writer. Ewan McGregor is refreshing here and with exceptional presence defines his character without words which is all in his posture and eyes. The supporting cast is wonderfully put together with known names and surprises interspersed throughout including Timothy Hutton, Tom Wilkinson, Olivia Williams, and Eli Wallach, all of which bring their own sensibilities and strengths to each scene as the film progresses. Everyone embraces subtleties to their performances complimenting the filmmaker’s precision to successfully creating an understated thriller, which is lacking now that Hollywood feels the need to pander to audiences with no sense of delicate and patient filmmaking.
            Personal feelings towards Roman Polanski should be put aside when trying to objectively critique his work since his personal failings have nothing to do with his strengths as a filmmaker. It has been too long since Polanski has been in this fine of form as a filmmaker especially in the genre that he used to be a master at making. But in The Ghost Writer the auteur returns to form with some minor narrative problems that are luckily only secondary to the main plot allowing for the suspense build up to the final conclusion evidence of a masterful storyteller. Everything from the acting, the camera work, and the music all come together for an engaging thriller that embraces subtlety rather than falling back on shock and awe or the dependency on the “twist,” allowing the protagonist’s paranoia to become the audiences. Putting the audience into the subjective experience of the actors is a difficult task but Polanski brought his strengths from his earlier career into a more than decent thriller that will be neglected by the majority of film going audiences.

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Recommendations: Red Riding, Fish Tank , Mystery Team

Last updated: 2010-04-05 00:17:08 by GenerationFilm

The Ghost Writer - ***1/2

Directed by:  Roman Polanski

Starring:  Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Kim Cattrall, Tom Wilkenson

Review:  This movie was very well constructed.  I had heard good things and I thought it would be a good movie to check out.  I was right. 

The movie centers around Ewan Macgregor's character who is hired as a new ghost writer for the autobiography of the former prime minster of England Adam Lange.  He is the new ghost writer because the previous one was found dead washed up on shore as the result of an apparent suicide.

Coinciding with Macgregors arrival as new ghost writer is the unraveling of a national scandal in which Lange finds himself in trouble with the international criminal court for war crimes.  Lange has now become a fugitive from his own country and the only place he can reside safely is in America (which is where he already is to write his book).  Naturally, this makes it tough to ghost write as Lange is more concerned with dealing with this crises than getting his book finished.  Therefore, Macgregor's ghost now has to do some research himself and finish the book anyway.  The book has become a hot commodity because of the scandal so his publisher wants it to come along as quickly as possible.
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This leads Macgregors ghost to stumble upon some information during his research.  This information is of the national security variety and could spell even more doom for Lange and his constituents.  I will stop there as part of the joy of this movie is the story line unraveling.

Roman Polanski directs this and he has not lost his touch.  He constructs a phenomenal story here and develops tension, not with car chases and cliffhangers but with words and paranoia.  This is something that is lost on the majority of the current generation of directors, but you don't have to have action to create suspense.  It can be created on it's own through situation and the suspense was palpable in this film.

Ewan Macgregor plays the part perfectly.  He plays the part of the writer who knows he failed in his endeavor to be a "real" writer but as a ghost, where somebody else who's not supposed to be a writer can take all the credit, he can flourish.  Macgregor's ghost follows his clues and asks the questions he asks, not because he is in a movie and it pushes the plot along (although it does do that), but because he is genuinely curious and it is part of his job.  He doesn't ask questions in order to write the book, he asks them in order to understand the man so he can not only write the book but write it as Lange.  This leads to answers to these questions he probably didn't want and part of what makes his performance so good is how well he is able to play the part of someone who is in well over his head, and knows it.

The rest of the supporting cast is brilliant.  Pierce Brosnan is pitch perfect as the former Prime Minister and his wife is brilliant as the loyal wife with maybe something she is not quite revealing to everyone outright. 

This is just a well made, well constructed movie that is enjoyable and sucks you in from start to finish.  It is one of those movies that gets better the more you think about it.  Definitely worth your time.

The Ghost Writer

'The Ghost Writer," was directed by Roman Polanski.  It stars Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Kim Cattrall, and Olivia Williams.  The movie is based off the book, "The Ghost," by Robert Harris.

Ewan McGregor plays "the Ghost."  He becomes the one to ghost write the memoirs of former prime minister, Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan).  The first ghost writer died under mysterious circumstances.  It also appears that Lang is accused of being involved with war crimes such as members of the CIA torturing alleged terrorists.  Kim Cattrall plays Amelia, Adam Lang's assistant and mistress and Olivia Williams plays his wife, Ruth.  There's much more to the plot.  That's just an overview.  I don't want to spoil anything for people...like Wikipedia is so exceptional at doing.

Ewan McGregor...I hadn't seen him in much before this.  I saw him in the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy...where a certain CGI obsessed man named George Lucas decided to destroy his classic franchise.  Then last year I saw him in "The Men Who Stare at Goats"...in case anyone was wondering.  "The Ghost Writer" completely relies on his performance.  He is in just about every scene in the movie and interacts with pretty much every other cast member.  And he's great...Every conversation that he has...especially with Pierce Brosnan and Olivia Williams feels natural.  I'm not a fan of Pierce Brosnan...at all...I find him incredibly annoying...but he wasn't bad at all in "The Ghost Writer."  Of course only being in a handful of scenes probably helped...So yeah...don't not see this movie just because he's in it...although he is great reason to avoid "Mamma Mia!"  The rest of the cast is great too, but Ewan McGregor and Pierce Brosnan are the main actors so I figured I would single them out.

The score!  It's really great.  A thriller is pretty much nothing without a great score.  The score can add to a movie or make it horrendous...like "Carrie"...worst score ever...well anyways...It adds to the intensity of the movie and it just seems to build as the audience (and Mr. McGregor and company) find out key information as the plot unfolds.  I'm also relatively certain that mostly stringed instruments were used...nice move on whoever's part.  Without out it the movie would definitely be missing something.

Visually the movie is pretty simple.  There's no crazy camera movements or quick edits or anything going on here...which is not a bad thing...since impressive cinematography and editing doesn't make a great movie...it merely helps. 

The movie felt like it moved a little slow at times.  Especially at the beginning.  Towards the end things start happening really fast.  Either that or my 4 hours of sleep renders me completely incapable of keeping up with a political thriller...which is sad...and hopefully when I rent this on DVD I will understand everything...eh...I can hope.  Also, a scene toward the end, that I won't spoil was a strange combination of really interesting and slightly forced and unlikely. 

As an aside...it's nice watching a movie where there's actually an intelligible plot and dialogue and not just tons of horrible CGI or hundreds of really extended actions scenes...which generally speaking...unless you're "The Dark Knight " or something means you are just too lazy to write a good movie.

I was impressed.  It's only March and already I have seen 2 great movies in theaters...and both of them thrillers, which just makes things a little bit better.  I personally peferred "Shutter Island" to this because it's psychological and Martin Scorsese...two legitmate reasons.  However, Roman Polanski cranked out an overall great movie.  Great performances by the actors and engaging just about the entire time.  I would recommend this to people...I personally think it would be worth your money...if you're going to go the movies you mind as well have a great experience.  3 1/2 out of 4 stars.

-Joseph Sbrilli

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The Ghost Writer

Directed by Roman Polanski and written by Robert Harris, based on his novel, The Ghost Writer tries very hard to thrill, but somehow fails. Overly long, the film has a very familiar feel, like we’ve seen it before.

The Ghost Writer is the story of British writer (Ewan McGregor) who comes to New England to work with and help complete the memoirs of the former U.K. prime minister (Pierce Brosnan). He’s replacing the initial ghostwriter who has died under somewhat mysterious circumstances while working on the book. Gradually this new writer begins to unravel that mystery and the ties the death may or may not have to the prime minister.

The movie has one thing going for it and that is the acting of Ewan McGregor. McGregor is extremely good as the reluctant ghostwriter/mystery solver. He brings an air of cynicism and good humor to his role that feels very natural and just works.

The Ghost Writer also features Tom Wilkinson as a colleague of the prime minister and Olivia Williams as the prime minister’s wife. There is also some stunt casting with Kim Cattrall as the prime minister’s secretary… and possibly more (with an English accent…why, pray tell…), a nearly unrecognizable Jim Belushi and a much underused Timothy Hutton. Also look for a terrific cameo from veteran actor Eli Wallach.

The Ghost Writer is not one of Polanksi’s best. You’d be better served dusting off The Pianist and watching a master then at the top of his game.

Last updated: 2010-03-07 13:14:45 by jfuchsman

The Ghost Writer

Directors are an immoral lot.

Famed Polish auteur Roman Polanski stands accused of sexually abusing a thirteen year-old girl in 1977.

As if that weren't bad enough, he always takes writing credit on his films. It drives me crazy when directors do that. They almost never deserve the credit, but directors have such power, especially famous ones, that no writer wants to blackball his own career by calling BS and bringing in guild arbitrators.

Okay, the sex abuse is worse.

During his long years in exile from the U.S., Polanski made a half-dozen mostly forgettable films, none of which lived up to his early "Rosemary's Baby" or "Chinatown."

Nor does "The Ghost Writer," but it's damn good anyway.

It follows aspiring writer Ewan McGregor, who wins the job of ghosting the memoirs of a former British Prime Minister played by Pierce Brosnan.

McGregor is the second ghost writer assigned this job. The first died under mysterious circumstances mere days ago.

The bulk of the action takes place in a secure island compound off the coast of New England, where the charming former PM is weathering multiple storms. The first is the media storm issuing from allegations that Brosnan committed war crimes by turning a quartet of terror suspects over to the CIA for waterboarding.

The second is the displeasure of his wife, Olivia Williams, over his relationship with his chief assistant, played by Kim Cattrall.

The third is all the rain that batters the island, creating the perfect atmosphere for the tense thriller that develops when McGregor starts to suspect the PM is hiding a terrible secret, one which cost the original ghost writer his life to discover.

The clue-gathering storyline is standard but excellently done. Information is revealed at the perfect rate to keep the audience thinking throughout.

Which just leaves the big reveal. The terrible secret!

It's this:

Pierce Brosnan's PM was recruited by the CIA in college. He was therefore an American plant in the British government who, throughout his years in power, was taking orders directly from Washington, D.C.

Or at least we think that's the secret, till the very end when McGregor discovers it is Brosnan's wife who is the CIA agent. She was the Lady Macbeth controlling her husband's actions at the behest of those dreaded Americans.

I have two reactions to this twist. The first is, it's sufficiently interesting, original and scandalous to hang a movie on.

My other reaction is, boy, Roman Polanski must have loved directing a movie that cast the British as naive dupes of the puppeteering -- and largely diabolical -- American government. No wonder he claimed writing credit! This is an idea he wished he'd thought of.

In the real world, the secret behind "The Ghost Writer" could never really happen. The CIA can't control who gets elected president of the US, let alone the PM of Great Britain. The movie presents an overly conspiratorial view of power politics. There are more effective ways of getting foreign countries to do what you want than working a brainwashed mole up through their political system.

But hey, in movie terms, I think it's a great idea for the scheming United States. I don't mind seeing my beloved stars and stripes portrayed as bad guys as long as it's done this intelligently and with this much fun.

But to set the record straight, the writer behind "The Ghost Writer" -- the real ghost writer! -- is Robert Harris who adapted the script from his novel.

SCORE

How Accomplished: 83/100

How Much I Enjoyed: 88/100

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An Intelligent, Topical Thrill Ride

Got to see this at a pre-release screening and wound up chewing my thumbnails down to the quick with the tension!

Though I am a huge Roman Polanski fan (of his work, not necessarily the man) I haven't really been crazy about any of his films since "Death and the Maiden" ("The Pianist" was technically superb but left me cold). At last, my patience has been rewarded.

"The Ghost Writer" is a stylish, edge-of-your-seat political thriller that, on the basis of suspense, twists, corruption, and an ensnared hero unable to grasp the enormity of what he's up against, can be looked on as a contemporary companion piece to Roman Polanski's "Chinatown." It's Polanski reveling in the art of skillful storytelling, and at age 76, it's clear he has not lost his touch.

Collaborating with author Robert Harris from his novel "The Ghost" (film title expanded, no doubt, to avoid misleading Polanski fans who would assume a return to the supernatural) Polanski has fashioned a real nail-biter that, thanks to the solid performances and deft plotting, plays extremely well whether you like politics or know much about foreign policy.

Ewan McGregor is a writer hired to ghost-write the memoirs of a former British Prime Minister (Pierce Brosnan) after the previous collaborator commits suicide (maybe). Almost immediately life begins to get, shall I say, complicated for McGregor as he is shuttled off to a spartan, fortress-like mansion on the American East Coast to work on the book and there encounters a catalog of the kind of slightly-off kilter characters that Polanski casts and directs so well. There's the unsettlingly mercurial Prime Minister, his caustic wife (Olivia Williams, who, simply put, steals the movie out from under everyone's noses), the icy assistant (Kim Cattrall, better than I thought she could ever be), and an entire corps of strange and secretive supporting players, all the better to keep you guessing just what is going on up to the absolutely socko conclusion.

Can't say what readers of the novel will think of the film, but as someone who went into the film ignorant of the plot, I have to say it was a real thrill ride and held many didn't-see-that-coming surprises. So many of Polanski's trademark themes are showcased (black humor, a preoccupation with "foreignness," paranoia, the pervasiveness of evil), but best of all, it's a pleasure to see an intelligent thriller that is extremely well acted.

The look of the film is as chilly as the underlying message, and the cast is populated with some startling casting choices very well used (I would have liked to have seen more of Eli Wallach, though).

There is much to recommend in "The Ghost Writer," not the least of which being that Nicholas Cage (originally cast) dropped out before filming!

Vincent Snavely