The Ghost Writer ***1/2

Roman Polanski’s The Ghost Writer is a deliberately paced thriller set against the political climate of the Iraq War. The film’s primary plotline follows Ewan McGregor (known as The Ghost) as he accepts a position to finish ghost writing the memoirs of the former Prime Minister of Great Britain. Pierce Brosnan portrays fictional Prime Minister Adam Lang as an intelligent man, often frustrated and sometimes ill tempered. He was close to his first ghost writer, a man the authorities claim got drunk and either fell or jumped off the ferry between mainland Massachusetts and the Prime Minister’s residence on Cape Cod. The current ghost comes to suspect foul play. Lang and the deceased writer had a row before his death, after all.

But suddenly Lang is accused of committing torture because of the tactics he approved to interrogate terrorists in the Middle East, and his own government is supporting an investigation by the International Criminal Court. The Ghost is thrust into a position of politicking on behalf of Lang’s career and reputation. He can’t escape. He wrote a statement for Lang denying the allegations. “You’re an accomplice now,” he’s told matter-of-factly, words that both ring of truth and irony.

Before long, the stories start to converge and we begin to learn more about the Prime Minister’s early career, his wife, the dead ghost writer’s discovery, and the current ghost’s investigatory skills. It’s pretty clear from the beginning that Lang committed the acts he’s accused of, but he believes he’s done nothing wrong. He has a wife that stands by him, and an assistant he’s apparently been sleeping with. Surely two can play that game.

The third act is rife with mystery and intrigue and a fitting climax before the resolute dénouement is turned to mush with the film’s last frames. We finally learn what’s really been going on, and while many will no doubt like the unveiling, some will cringe at the big finish. Polanski has been a notable director for forty years, and while he may be just as famous for his real-life dramas, his films are never boring, always unique, and sometimes brilliant. The Ghost Writer is no exception, and it’s on par with his better work, if not his most outstanding.