[7.75/10] The Ghost Writer (2010)

The Ghost Writer (2010)

"The Ghost Writer" follows an amateurish and unsuspecting ghost writer as he takes on a doomed project that resulted in his predecessor's untimely and mysterious death. He is to write the biography of former UK Prime Minister, Adam Lang. This is a strong, thrilling and extremely well-written story, with no major flaws, delivered in a wonderful pace, with the long running time not being a problem. Fortunately, Roman Polanski admirably emphasizes entertainment value over self-seriousness. He shows a lighthearted honesty in his direction of the cast, with a disarming sense of humor. As the film progresses, the tension builds and the atmosphere becomes increasingly dark. The acting is one of film's strongest points. Ewan McGregor has been largely overlooked as an actor through the years, but here he's nothing short of brilliant. As the proficient, yet morally flawed ghost writer, he delivers an award-worthy performance of effortless subtlety and natural charm. Olivia Williams puts in a revelatory performance as the wife of the former Prime Minister. Tom Wilkinson totally inhabits his role as the enigmatic Professor Paul Emmett. Kim Cattrall, however, is atrocious, and Pierce Brosnan as Adam Lang gives a decent performance. The film is almost monochrome in its restrained palette of black, blue and grey with flesh tones. The 'metallic' look Polanski gave to his film suits perfectly with the overall atmosphere of "The Ghost Writer" and helps fuel mysteriousness. With its pitch-perfect writing, engaging story and incredible performances, "The Ghost Writer" is an intelligent, subtle and sophisticated mystery thriller that delivers. By far, one of year's best.

• My Rating: 7.75/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 84% (7.4/10)
• IMDb: 7.7/10