The Ghost Writer (2010)

Rating: 7.5/10

The Ghost Writer is an adaptation of Robert Harris’s Novel “The Ghost”. Ewen Mcgreggor plays a ghost writer that is hired to complete the memoirs for the ex British Prime Minister, Adam Lang due to his predecessor dying under unusual circumstances. Ewen soon finds out that not all is as it seems and begins to search for the truth.

This Political Thriller is truly Polanski at his finest. The film reminded me a lot of The Ninth Gate, which was okay but nothing special and left me a little disappointed by the end. There’s actually many similarities between the two characters as well as plot points that develop throughout the films but this one shines in every way where the other fails. What The Ghost does so masterfully is that it’s an incredibly well told story, Robert Harris deserves a lot of praise in that regard. If you are familiar with Polanski's work you’ll know he has an incredible ability to build tension, that mixed with a well crafted story creates an excellent film. In almost all of Polanski’s films there are themes of deception, cunning, betrayal and treachery. This one is no different and once again we see the careful plotting of wicked characters to manifest their wishes, we saw this in Rosemary's Baby, Chinatown and The Tenant to name a few. 

The film dives head first into the dark underbelly of politics. It outlines that sometimes financial institutions, governing bodies and politics cross wires and not everything is as diplomatic as it might seem on the onset. Even if this is’t your view of the world we live in this is the world that Polanski and Harris, although it would be a little ludicrous to deny some similarities. The deeper and deeper into the film we get the more we realise that Ewen is in uncharted water and quite frankly unequipped to fight this battle, simply leaving us helpless. The pacing is excellent and there is not a single moment that doens’t create intrigue, it may simply be a look or and off handed remark that tell you about these characters and the world they live in.

There’s not a single performance that misses the mark and I particularly loved Olivia Williams as Ruth and Tom Wilkinson as Paul Emmett. I really wanted to see more of these characters but also understand why they both have limited screen time. Adam Lang played by Pierce Brosnan does a wonderful job of coming across as a clueless and pompous politician. I think this character is quite clearly inspired by Tony Blair as the parallels between them can’t be ignored, i’m of course referring to the war crimes they are both excused of in the middle east rather than anything of the more conspiratorial variety.

Conclusion

Overall, I would highly recommend this film to those who want to see a nail biting thriller. If you are a fan of political films in general you will also find much to dive into here. If on the other hand you are not a fan of politics i would still suggest you give it a go as the story is so interesting and so well put together.