Roman Polanski’s The Ghost Writer is one of the finest political thrillers that is set on the background of international politics and war crimes. The film is about a ghostwriter who happens to write the biography of a famous public figure, one of the former British prime ministers, but ends up discovering some secrets that put his life in danger.
The film opens with The Ghost, played brilliantly by Ewan McGregor, who upon a suggestion from his publishing agent takes up the job to rewrite the memoirs of former UK prime minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan) after the leader’s former writer died under mysterious circumstances.
As the writer arrives in a remote beach house somewhere in the U.S. to start research and rewriting the life story of the leader, the news reports come in that the former prime minister Lang is accused, by a former British cabinet minister, of committing a war crime which puts him under the threat of possible extradition and prosecution by the international criminal court.
What follows is all gripping when the writer accidentally discovers some documents as proof that linked Lang with the CIA. He finally comes to a very startling conclusion that it is because of these secrets that his predecessor was murdered, as a result, he is alarmed with all certainty that his life is also in danger.
Ewan McGregor as the journo and Pierce Brosnan as the former prime minister delivered their finest performances. In fact, Polanski kept them under control to balance their activities with his visualization as per the characterization in the novel. The Ghost Writer is cinematically perfect but you may find it too lengthy, only if you don’t like such a political thriller.
The Ghost Writer is an adaptation of the novel, The Ghost (by Robert Harris), and the screenplay is written by both Polanski and Harris.
‘The Ghost Writer’ Movie Trailer
“The Ghost Writer” won the Best Director for Polanski (Silver Bears) at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival and also at the 23rd European Film Awards in 2010.
Directed by Roman Polanski
Screenplay by Robert Harris and Roman Polanski
Based on ‘The Ghost’ by Robert Harris
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Kim Cattrall, Olivia Williams, Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Hutton, Jon Bernthal, Tim Preece, Robert Pugh, David Rintoul, and Eli Wallach.
Cinematography Paweł Edelman
Release Date/Year: April 16, 2010
Where to watch The Ghost Writer (2010)
