The tagline for The Ghost Writer should have been 'With great power and money, comes no responsibility.'
We live in a world where bankers ruined the economy, where priests molest children and where the leaders of the free world can break international law through torture, lies and corruption; yet they all get off scott free and with no repercussions. It's a movie of that sort of corruption and in the hands of a lesser filmmaker than Roman Polanski would be a less scathing and suspenseful film and more of a dull and generic thriller. It deals in the same kind of political and social depravity that Polanski has dealt with in the past and already mastered in Chinatown. So why revisit these themes of political and social depravity when he's already made Chinatown? It's because it's needed more than it has in a long time. Sometimes when you start to open your eyes to the corrupt nature of the established order, you need an artist to open the blinds and let the sunshine of truth come in.
The Ghost Writer is the story of a ghost writer(Ewan McGregor) hired to finish the memoirs of former British Prime Minister Adam Lang(Pierce Brosnan)amidst a scandal where he's being accused of handing over terrorist suspects to the CIA for torture. Lang is a mixture of Tony Blair and George W. Bush, though mostly Blair. As played by Pierce Brosnan he has an air of arrogance and sense of entitlement that we've seen a lot of in those two leaders. The ghost writer, which we never get the real name of, is a bestselling hack writer that almost reminds one of Holly Martins in the film The Third Man. In both, the protagonist is a spineless smart ass who's always a few steps behind and way over their heads in what they're doing. They've both read or wrote too many pulp novels and believe that they too can be private detectives in a murder case. Luckily, just like in The Third Man, we have a lead in Ewan McGregor that is likeable and easy to root for. He doesn't quite live up to Joseph Cotten's skill, but in this movie he gets damn close.
The film has a few actors that are surprisingly good and fit perfectly in their roles. Never have I seen Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan or Kim Catrall better. When those names pop up on the marquee, it often isn't a good sign. In this case they not only surpass expectation but are borderline revelatory, especially McGregor and Brosnan. They show that given the right material and director that they're great actors. It doesn't hurt that they share screen time with Olivia Williams in what is a subtle and striking performance as Lang's wife. There are also great small parts played to perfection by the likes of Tom Wilkinson(King Midas of actors), Timothy Hutton, James Belushi and the legendary Eli Wallach.
There is an air of mystery in the atmosphere and in the ghost's conversations with the people around him that so few filmmakers could pull off. This is not only a throwback to the great political thrillers of the 70's but of the thrillers of Hitchcock. Polanski is a master of suspense and he slowly builds it up throughout with an ease and subtlety that is unmatched. It's the kind of suspense that doesn't always end with action, but sometimes with laughter. The Ghost Writer not only has scathing political awareness, suspense and drama, but also great humor. There's many "comedies" that never match the humor utilized in The Ghost Writer. There's also many films that never match the visual beauty of The Ghost Writer either. Sure, it's often overcast and rainy but Polanski's camera is as curious as characters are of each other and they're surroundings. It attempts to see the world in an authentic way, but is also slick and cinematic. Aesthetically there's a great balancing act that is as successful as the pitch perfect script by Polanski and Robert Harris.
The Ghost Writer is a film that proves wrong to all those that say they don't make them like they used to. It's not only a fun night at the movies but a movie with themes and messages that are needed. It's a movie of suspense, drama, mystery, and humor that both arthouse viewers and mainstream viewers can appreciate. It may be the best thriller to come out all year, but also may have the most impressive and haunting final image. An image that is thematically tied to the masterful ending of Chinatown. Instead of a famous last line to latch onto like in Chinatown, we are left to sit, ponder and stew as the haunting sound and image of our projection of freedom blows through the breeze — to be disregarded and lost in the whirlwind of corruption.
