iiiWith its masterful storytelling and superb acting, The Ghost Writer is one of the best films of the year so far. Ewan McGregor plays a ghost writer who is enlisted to help former prime minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan) publish his memoirs.
An unexpected complication suddenly endangers many people's lives and reputations. As the story progresses, so the tension and adrenaline levels rise. The film manages to continually keep the audience guessing about what on earth is going to happen next.
Despite being delivered in a couple of places with dodgy accents, the quality of screenwriting is impressive, with no false moves, no red herrings, and no unnecessary distractions to divert from the overall excellent cinematic experience. What we have is a mix of intrigue, action and a hatful of humour.
The Ghost Writer, adapted from Robert Harris' book Ghost, is well worth seeing, not least for director Roman Polanski's unfailing sense of cinematography and drama.
The way the director builds the mystery is reminiscent of his Chinatown, while the suspense and the final scenes, are unmistakably Hitchcockian, as Polanski acknowledges in publicity about the movie. He may be nearly 80, but Polanski has proven his mastery yet again.
Contains strong language