Written by: Roman Polanski, Robert Harris (screenplay); Robert Harris (novel)
I'm always looking for a good political thriller, and this Polanksi film came highly recommended.
When the original ghostwriter mysteriously dies, a new young writer (McGregor) is brought on to finish putting together the memoirs of a former British Prime Minister (Brosnan). Soon, though, as he spends more time working with the PM and his entourage, the more it becomes evident that there is a conspiracy. But what exactly is being covered up, and who is behind the conspiracy? Is it the PM's personal assistant (Cattrall) keeping state secrets hidden? Or his wife, hiding something personal? Or a political attack by his rivals? Or, perhaps, something even more sinister?
Polanski does a great job of pacing the story slowly, deliberately, without letting the plot drag on too long. Just when things are starting to feel too slow, he inserts a major twist or a new mystery to keep things moving forward. He quickly establishes the nature of the film in the opening sequence (the unattended car on the ferry), and from then on, each twist also escalates in complexity, leading to the biggest reveal at the end and the final, haunting shot.
There are obviously parallels that could be drawn between Brosnan's character and the real British PM Tony Blair. But it's not necessary to have any of that background to understand the film. If anything, the comparisons are almost an unnecessary distraction from the completely fictional story being told.
This was a really good movie, and really hit the spot in terms of what I was looking for when I decided to see it. It's rich, complex, and a bit dark.
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