The Ghost Writer
Director: Roman Polanski
Year Released: 2010
Rating: 3.0
The title scribe (Ewan MacGregor) is given the job of cleaning up an overlong 'autobiography' of a former British Prime Minister (Pierce Brosnan) - after the original ghost writer died under mysterious circumstances - and slowly discovers that the PM may have had dealings with the U.S. government and may have approved illegal torture techniques. You could argue this is Polanski's best film since Chinatown if only because he seems to be returning to his roots as a director of thrillers (the Hitchcock-influenced Knife in the Water is a fine film): adding to Polanski's efficient direction is the fact that it has ties to modern politics, with Brosnan doubling as Tony Blair and a "Halliburton"-type company looms in the background (with suspicious ties to the government). It's measured and engrossing, even though a healthy amount of suspension of disbelief is required for the parts where the picture challenges logic.
