Fascinating political thriller about a ghost writer who fears for his life while working on the memoirs of a former world leader. Intricate plot starts slowly and tension builds as layer upon layer is uncovered. This adaptation of the Robert Harris novel has a sharp, well-informed script, and benefits from the sophisticated art direction as well. Eerie, remote locations significantly add to the bleak mood of the film. Roman Polanski’s sure-footed direction brings out the best in an already stellar cast, particularly Pierce Brosnan. As the former British Prime Minister he embodies the evil of the modern leader: handsome and charismatic, with a vacuous smile that hides a lack of principles in his quest for power. It’s a surprisingly good performance, one that stays with you long after the film is over.
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I love a mystery movie that is well written. Characters were very believable. I also give this movie 4 stars.
It looks/sounds terrific and is one of 5 new films I hope to see this weekend – starting tomorrow – including FISH TANK, ALICE IN WONDERLAND, BROOKLYN’S FINEST and (at my student theater) a 35mm print of the great TOUCH OF EVIL (1958)! 🙂
Sounds like a great line-up of films. I hope to watch Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland this weekend as well. Let me know what you think.
Ok, now I’ve seen all of the films I mentioned except for BROOKLYN’S FINEST (including THE GHOST WRITER)… Here’s the brief breakdown:
THE GHOST WRITER: A- Polanski’s best since CHINATOWN (1974)
TOUCH OF EVIL: A a classic of course
ALICE IN WONDERLAND: B+ not great but a surprisingly faithful (to Tim Burton’s style) take on the classic story, now with new and improved special effects and a Joan of Arc/Narnia style ending
FISH TANK: A a masterpiece. Period. A riveting slice of life, what feels like the beginning of a new sub-genre of British coming of age stories. You’ve heard of the Angry Young Man tales? This could be the beginning of the Angry Young Woman films. 🙂 Astonishing directorial debut with an amazing first time lead performance! 🙂
Glad you liked The Ghost Writer. Best since Chinatown? I might be inclined to agree. It was certainly better than The Pianist, but I’d have to rewatch Frantic and Tess to be sure.
I have never seen Touch of Evil, but it’s in my Netflix queue as we speak.
Posted my review for Alice in Wonderland yesterday.
Fish Tank had an extremely limited run back in January where it played in 1 theater in San Francisco for something like a week. Where did you see it? I remember hearing about this UK film when it won the Jury Prize at Cannes last year. I usually regard those Cannes awards with a lot of skepticism, but based on your review I’m interested again. I suppose I’ll have to wait for the DVD. Thanks for the recommendation.