From acclaimed director Roman Polanski and resonating with topical themes, this atmospheric and intriguing political thriller charts one man's determination to discover the truth and to tell it, if necessary, from beyond the grave.
This is an intriguing story, possibly more so because of the obvious comparisons to Tony Blair. Pierce Brosnan has definitely tried to capture some of his mannerisms without overdoing the similarities. A interesting sense of the disempowerment when constantly surrounded by people who do everything for you is one of the films clever ironies, and an impression of Lang's frustration and confusion is never far away, although you are not sure if he is being cleverly deceptive throughout? The same is true of Ruth Lang, who appears to be long suffering and frustrated by her own lack of female emancipation despite being a first class honours graduate from Oxford. The Ghosts attempts to understand more of the characters and relationships are constantly interrupted by the quickly developing change of events and I find it hard to understand those reviewers who found the film to be too long. I definitely experienced a sense of concern for the safety of the Ghost, which is in part due to Ewan McGregor's significantly better characterisation than in the terrible 'Angels and Demons'. Tom Wilkinson plays an unsubtle and arrogant friend from Langs time at University, who is keen to avoid any connection with Lang or the dead ghost writer, despite the dead man's final journey being the last recorded route on the cars satellite navigation system (somewhat of a coup for a prestigious German car manufacturers marketing department here). I would not go as far to say that this is a brilliant film but I would summarize by stating that it is intriguing from start to finish if you like a political thriller. I enjoyed the film but it hasn't changed my life or any cynical view of politicians. I have not read the Robert Harris novel; those who have say that the book is better and that Polanski changed the films ending.
Verdict
Very intriguing throughout
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Please note this is a region 2 DVD and will require a region 2 (Europe) or region Free DVD Player in order to play. Based on Robert Harris' acclaimed novel, The Ghost is the story of a ghostwriter hired to take over writing the memoirs of one former British Prime Minister (Pierce Brosnan - James Bond, The Thomas Crown Affair), after the ex-Prime Minister's first co-writer dies in an accident. Soon after the Ghost accepts the assignment, a high-ranking British official accuses Lang of illegally seizing suspected terrorists and handing them over for torture by CIA, a war crime. The controversy brings reporters and protesters swarming to the Martha's Vineyard mansion where Lang is staying with his wife, Ruth (Olivia Williams) and his media-handler turned mistress, Amelia (Kim Cattrall - Sex And The City, My Boy Jack). As The Ghost works, he begins uncover to clues revealing the previous writer may have pieced together a dark secret linking Lang to the CIA, and that somehow this information is hidden in the manuscript he left behind. From acclaimed director Roman Polanski (Oliver Twist, The Pianist, Chinatown) and resonating with topical themes, this atmospheric and intriguing political thriller charts one man's determination to discover the truth and to tell it, if necessary, from beyond the grave. Actors Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Kim Cattrall, Olivia Williams, Timothy Hutton, Tom Wilkinson, James Belushi, Jon Bernthal, Jaymes Butler, Daphne Alexander, Angelique Fernandez & Michael S. Ruscheinsky Director Roman Polanski Certificate 15 years and over Year 2010 Screen 16:9 Anamorphic Languages English - Dolby Digital (5.1) Duration 1 hour and 34 minutes (approx)
Roman Polanski directs this political thriller based on the novel by Robert Harris. Ewan McGregor plays a ghost-writer who is hired to work on the memoirs of former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan) following the mysterious demise of his previous collaborator. Taken to a luxury mansion on an island off the American East Coast to begin work on the book, he is introduced to the unsettlingly mercurial Prime Minister, his wife Ruth (Olivia Williams) and his personal assistant Amelia (Kim Cattrall). When Lang subsequently becomes embroiled in a major international scandal that reveals just how far he was prepared to go in order to nurture UK's 'special relationship' with the USA, the ghost-writer finds himself caught up in a deadly web of secrets and lies.
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