The Conspirator

Directed by: Robert Redford

Written by: James D. Solomon; James D. Solomon, Gregory Bernstein (story)










Most Americans know, at least vaguely, the story of the assassination of President Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth.  Fewer are familiar with the trial of the conspirators who help hatch the plot.

Frederick Aiken (McAvoy) has been tapped to defend Mary Surratt (Wright), who has been accused of harboring the conspirators in her boarding house.  But Aiken quickly finds out that, in the case of a military tribunal, justice may not be easy.  He is further upset when he finds out the entire trial itself may be an attempt to draw out a Surratt's son from hiding, even if it means that she might be executed.

From the standpoint of story, "The Conspirator" weaves an interesting and emotionally charged tale.  There are some interesting questions of ethnics and justice raised, mixed between plot twists (including a big one right near the end).  The actors are solid, even if it felt that they were limited by the script and story itself.

The biggest issue with "The Conspirator" is that it fails to do anything new or novel.  It tells its story in a generally straight and traditional way.  It makes its point clearly, but does not present any new or challenging ways of thinking about the issues.

For better or for worse, "The Conspirator" felt like what it was: a historical drama.  It's good, but could have done much more.

The Ghost Writer

Directed by: Roman Polanski

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.