Roman Polanski, winner of the Academy Award for The Pianist in 2002, brought another great film to the screen, this time with The Ghost. Starring Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Olivia Williams and Kim Cattrall, the film is based on the novel by the Robert Harris bestseller, also by the same title.

The film is a political thriller that in fact holds resemblances to true events of the recent past. Ewan McGregor plays a ghost writer who was hired to finish the memoirs of former UK Prime Minister Adam Lang after the former ghost writer supposedly killed himself a few days earlier by jumping off a ferry. Knowing nothing about politics but enthralled by the money, the ghost writer accepted the job where he was to stay with the PM in Martha's Vineyard. 

Just a few days after the ghost writer is on the assignment, a scandal concerning Lang giving suspected terrorists over to the CIA comes out through the media by Lang's former employee. Notice how I have called McGregor’s character “The Ghost Writer” repeatedly.

This is because not once throughout the film is his actual name mentioned. This small detail is symbolism for the role is supposed to play throughout the film. As a ghost writer, it is his job to be in the background of everything and observe what happens around him.
 

At first he was the spineless man in the background, never taking action or even questioning what he saw. But as the audience following in his footsteps throughout the film, we saw his transformation as he took chances and even became part of the action by uncovering truths.

First he found answers or “secrets” that were right in front of him but going more into the film he became a detective, searching for the truth. He did not want to be spineless and be an accomplice to the actions that were taking place.

The character development of “the ghost writer” was outstanding. Toward the end of the film I thought that he had overcome the ghost writer stereotype and hoped that his real name would be revealed.

The chemistry between Brosnan and McGregor was like watching a tennis match; so much intensity. You never knew where the ball was going to go and you never knew who would hit the ball out of the court. Brosnan’s Lang was very intimidating. However, the ghost writer learned how to hold his own.

Supporting roles were cast just as well. Kim Cattrall played Amelia Bly, Lang’s assistant and subsequently his mistress also. It was nice to see her dig into a new character, stepping away from her Samantha (Sex and the City) cliché roles.

Olivia Williams played Ruth Lang, Adam Lang’s wife whose advice was also sought by her husband while at the same time she tried to keep her distance from the politics. A multi-dimensional character, one moment she was seen as vulnerable and crying, another she was stern and angry.  

Another mentionable performance was Tom Wilkinson as Paul Emmet. Emmet is a Harvard law professor who the ghost writer believes is hiding information about Lang’s connection with the CIA. Wilkinson’s Emmet, too, was stern and secretive, captivating the audience to watch him closely.

I believe that Polanski was trying to make a political statement by Lang’s large resemblance to Tony Blair who allegedly aided President Bush in handing over suspected terrorists for torture by the CIA. Lang was being accused for this exact same thing in the film.

Another resemblance to real life circumstances was Lang’s refuge in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. At the moment Polanski is taking refuge in Germany because of legal problems he is facing in America.

He allegedly had sex with a 13 year old girl in 1977 and the case is currently being considered to go to court in Los Angeles. For this reason most of the film was shot in Germany.

A suspenseful film, it was impossible to look away from the screen. The order of the film was very well laid out: clues were revealed as the action progressed.

Polanski and Harris (both collaborated on the script) knew what they were doing: creating a film that was suspenseful, easy to follow, and full of characters whose trust was always questioned.

Shannon Farrell