The Ghost Writer

Based on the book by Robert Harris, The Ghost Writer follows a struggling writer (Ewan McGregor) as he’s hired to complete the memoirs of former British prime minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan) – with trouble ensuing as McGregor’s character is drawn into a far-reaching conspiracy that ultimately threatens his very life. It’s clear that The Ghost Writer fares best in its opening half hour, as filmmaker Roman Polanski effectively draws the viewer into the proceedings by emphasizing McGregor’s fish-out-of-water exploits after he arrives at Lang’s breachfront hideaway – with the magnetic nature of the characters’ back-and-forth rapport heightened by McGregor and Brosnan’s superb work. The movie’s momentum takes a rather substantial hit once Brosnan temporarily exits the picture, however, and although Polanski does pepper the narrative with appreciatively compelling bits of business (eg Tom Wilkinson’s brief turn as a subtly sinister friend of Lang’s), there’s little doubt that The Ghost Writer‘s midsection is simply not as enthralling as that which preceded it (ie the film settles into a disappointingly talky, almost stagy sort of groove). The relatively stagnant atmosphere persists right up until the reveal of an admittedly surprisingly third-act development, with the strength of this twist effectively propelling the movie right through to its note-perfect final shot – thus cementing The Ghost Writer‘s place as an uneven yet refreshingly grown-up thriller that should satisfy Polanski’s fans.

*** out of ****