The Ghost Writer

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Kim Cattral, Olivia Williams, Tom Wilkinson, John Belushi, Timothy Hutton, Eli Wallach
Directed by: Roman Polanski
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
2010

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A ghost writer (Ewan McGregor) is hired to write the memoirs of the ex-Prime Minister (Pierce Brosnan) of the U.K. However, once he starts writing the book, he stumbles upon a secret that may change the world's view of the PM's legacy. There are those, however, who do not want the secret to see the light of day.

Review:

Tim: While I am not a fan of Roman Polanski the man, I cannot deny that he is a talented director. While The Ghost Writer was mostly overlooked by audiences, that doesn't mean it is not a good movie. In fact, this is an exciting, mysterious, thrilling movie that keeps the audience entertained from start to finish. It was interesting to watch, and I had a good time with it. This is a very good movie.

One of the strengths of this film is the direction of Polanski. He is such a talented, masterful director. The story unfolds exactly as Polanski planned- every scene is important, and there are no slow parts. Watching this movie is to see a director fully in command of the story. Polanski puts together a beautiful film- each scene supports the next. The direction was very good.

I liked the cast quite a bit. Ewan McGregor is very good as the titular ghost writer. McGregor gives a charismatic, likable performance. He is such a strong actor, and he works very well here. The role is a meaty one, and McGregor pulls it off wonderfully. He works well with the rest of the cast, and works even better alone. So many actors need others to play off of- McGregor is equally as comfortable with just him and the camera.

The supporting cast is good, too. I liked Pierce Brosnan as the former Prime Minister. Brosnan is an actor that doesn't work nearly enough, so it was great to see him here. I didn't care much for Kim Cattrall, but I am not sure I ever do. Olivia Williams was so good. She gives an emotional, strong performance. The movie was better because of her. I also enjoyed seeing Tom Wilkinson in a small role.

The Ghost Writer is an interesting movie because it gives us these memorable, fascinating characters, and a central mystery that runs throughout the film. This is a story about politics, murder, betrayal, writing, love, and conspiracy. It's a smallish movie, but it is about some very big things. The movie is more intellectual than straight up thriller, but there are still some very suspenseful scenes. The movie is challenging and complex.

While the movie is certainly good, there are some aspects that prevent it from being great. The film just doesn't connect as well with audiences. While it is a very good movie, it only generated $15 million at the box office. That's crazy. While I enjoyed the film, I never really connected with it. I certainly liked McGregor in the movie, but the movie as a whole needed to be more emotional and more exciting. It was good, but never actually great.

While this film could have been slightly more original and given us something we haven't seen before, the film does do the story better than most. There are some good surprises, some very good performances, and over all, entertains the audience. Polanski gives a good movie, but I wish it had been better.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7.5



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