“The Ghost Writer”, director Roman Polanski’s first feature film in five years, a political dramatic mystery that is a loose allegory to Tony Blair’s Iraq War decisions and resignation, is a film in which little happens, but much is said.
The film’s most famous actors are Ewan McGregor (of the similarly-paced 2008 film “Deception”,) who plays the memoir ghostwriter for Pierce Brosnan (four-time James Bond, “Mamma Mia”), who plays Adam Lang, a resigned British prime minister. Lang is accused of war crimes and his dealings with the U.S., the C.I.A. and its war efforts. The Ghost — he’s never named — is taking over from an aide to Lang, who apparently drowned during a ferry crossing.
Casting for this film seems almost seems random at times — excellent actors such as Tom Wilkinson (“Michael Clayton”) and Olivia Williams (“Rushmore”, “Dollhouse”) as Lang’s wife are, bafflingly, credited next to the likes of Jim Belushi as a book editor and Kim Cattrall as Lang’s assistant and implied mistress. Timothy Hutton also makes a tired but competent appearance as Lang’s attorney. Veteran Eli Wallach, still acting at 95, even gets a brief scene.
Lang’s two main opponents in the film are a former minister under Lang’s regime and a retired British soldier who lost a son in “one of Lang’s secret wars.”
Hounded by political protesters and members of the world news media, Lang, his wife, a bevy of aides and The Ghost hole up in Lang’s Massachusetts home, a blandly modern dwelling. As the film progresses, The Ghost reluctantly becomes emotionally involved in uncovering evidence against Lang.
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McGregor lives up to his character’s name; he’s more than characteristically bland and mostly treated as a piece of furniture by the other characters. Lang, as might befit a retired head of state, doesn’t spend a lot of time on screen as he’s whisked away in his private jet to various global destinations.
Without giving anything away, The Ghost eventually digs into Lang’s past in cooperation with some of Lang’s opponents until he seemingly uncovers the conspiracy. Of course, there’s a twist, one that seems rushed in its delivery at the very end of the film.
Most of the film is devoid of action shots. Refreshingly, the plot is advanced mainly through conversation and investigation with The Ghost. The pacing is reminiscent of a similar film, 2007’s “Breach,” in which a young FBI agent secretly investigates a senior agent.
The book on which the film was based was written by Robert Harris, a UK-based author, as a fictional parallel to Tony Blair’s decisions regarding relations with President Bush, decisions Harris disagreed with, and subsequent resignation. The film also reflects attitudes about the news media. Thankfully, those political views don’t eclipse the film.
Putting aside Polanski’s criminal exploits (Polanski has an outstanding warrant for his arrest for the sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl, with a US judge saying Polanski has to return to the US to be sentenced) and the author’s political sentiments, “The Ghost Writer,” for the first three-quarters of its length, is excellently if slowly paced, well-shot and with quite a few fine performances. However, it suffers from a logically weak ending and a lack of investment in its characters.
