Ghost Writer review

One cannot deny that films are constantly evolving. From the obvious leap in computer generated effects to the more subtle changes in acting and design, movies from 30 years ago might have a hard time resonating with the current generation. Roman Polanski is a director who seems to be stuck in time. Whereas other directors who've earned their fame decades ago have managed to mold their films' structure to captivate modern audiences, Polanski seems perfectly happy with maintaining the outdated style of filmmaking, and no movie shows this better than "The Ghost Writer."

Based on the novel by Robert Harris, "The Ghost Writer" tells the story of a successful British ghostwriter, a writer who helps those writing their memoirs to edit and better organize their books whilst going uncredited. He has been assigned to chronicle the life of ex-prime minister Adam Lang, is forced to move in with the prime minister and is allowed only minimal contact with the outside world. While in the Lang residence, Harris begins to discover the dark mysteries behind the beloved politician, especially the reason why he is the fifth ghost writer assigned to the case. A strong cast really helps propel the story forward. Ewan McGregor plays the ghost writer very well and Pierce Brosnan brings back some of his James Bond charisma while portraying the smug Adam Lang. However, the female repertoire does falter a bit. Adam's wife, played by Olivia Williams, has some of the most cringe-inducing lines in the movie and displays a constant sense of dread that bleeds into the audience. And finally, although Kim Cattrall is a fine actress, she really needs to work on her British accent.

One would think that with such a powerful cast and intriguing, politically charged story the film would be filled with tension and mind-blowing twists. Unfortunately, Polanski opted for the much slower pace, common in older films to tell this story. There are way too many scenes that take far longer than they should, and a few that serve no purpose at all. It makes the movie much longer than it should be and fails to give it any more substance.

If the film had received an editing job in the style of "No Country for Old Men" then it would have done a much better job in creating the tense atmosphere it was aiming for. What we get instead is a level of exhaustion due to the slow pace, rather than teeth-gritting tension.