Writer On The Storm

While he remains in judicial exile, Roman Polanski delivers more evidence of his greatness as a director. "The Ghost Writer" is not quite "Chinatown" but it's not laughable to talk about it in terms usually reserved for that classic film.

The Ghost (Ewan McGregor) has won the interview process to take over for another ghost writer who drowned in mid-book. The book in question is a biography of former British prime minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan). The Ghost is off to the island hideaway of Lang and we are soon aware that we are being tossed into a political mystery/thriller that works on every level. Very small clues and inconsistencies sprout up and we, along with The Ghost, are aware that nothing is as we are being told.

As The Ghost's discomfort grows, he manages to keep his uneasiness at bay, most of the time. The audience, on the other hand, has a tougher task controlling themselves from guessing who is bad or good or both or neither. It's a delightful quandary for us. Polanski masterfully moves it all with a confident and understated touch and understands that, by building it slowly, the final twists will pay off incredibly well.

McGregor, Brosnan, Olivia Williams (as Lang's wife) and Tom Wilkinson are all superb. Brosnan has never done better work.

If you can put aside negative feelings towards Polanski, if you have them, you will be astounded at just how good a thriller can be if the right guy is writing and directing. And he is.