The Ghost Writer [MA]

Following the mysterious death of an acclaimed ghost writer, a replacement writer is sent to an isolated location to complete the memoirs of a former Prime Minister and, unknowingly, he becomes entangled in an international conspiracy that has deadly consequences. 

This movie is a classic example of the pleasant surprise you get when you rent a movie simply for an actor. When I rented this yesterday, I had absolutely no idea what it was about and really only hired it because it starred Ewan McGregor, who is one of my top ten all-time favourite actors. What I experienced was a perfectly crafted drama that was filled with sinister conspiracies, awkward romance, subtle humour, and wonderful editing. It was easy to follow, but at the same time, dealt with complicated themes and sinister twists of the plot. It was great! 

Following the mysterious death of an acclaimed ghost writer a replacement is sent out to an isolated location to pen the memoirs of a former Prime Minister. However, the project is doomed from the start as the former PM has been recently accused of authorising the illegal seizure of suspected terrorists and handing them over for torture at the hands of the CIA. As the new Ghost gets further into the project, he unearths some startling information regarding the PM and the mysterious circumstances of his predecessor’s death. Suddenly, he realises that he has become entangled in an international conspiracy and that, if he cannot get this new information into the hands of the good guys, he may be the next ghost writer to go missing. 

This was a perfectly crafted drama. Its foundation was a solid and engaging story, and the way that it was filmed was both suggestive and chilling. The scene that leaves the strongest impression is the climax where some disturbing new information has been unearthed by the Ghost and the last thing we see is him walking across the street with the manuscript of the memoirs. I don’t want to say anything else for fear of completely spoiling the ending, but seriously, it’s a piece of wonderful filmmaking. 

Starring Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Kim Cattrall, James Belushi, Olivia Williams, and Timothy Hutton, The Ghost Writer was a brilliant drama that was filled with romance, conspiracies, sinister plot twists, and great tension. I highly recommend that you get yourself down to your local Blockbuster and grab a copy for a Saturday night, because it really is a good film!