The Ghost Writer: Fabulous Thriller!

The Ghost Writer is a political thriller that opened this weekend,  starring Ewan McGregor and Pierce Brosnan. The Ghost Writer was directed by Roman Polanski, who has been in headlines for his legal battles the past few months.  The film follows a ghost writer (McGregor) who gets twisted into a political web of secrets and critics are giving the thriller rave reviews.

McGregor plays an unnamed ghost writer hired to revivify the moribund memoirs of Blair doppelganger Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan), now essentially in exile in America, flanked by his beautiful, smarter wife, Ruth ( Olivia Williams), and assistant/mistress Amelia (Kim Cattrall). Lang’s previous collaborator on the book, a longtime associate, has died unexpectedly. As McGregor’s character, the Ghost, fleshes out the politician’s life story, and as calls increase for Lang to be investigated by The Hague for abetting CIA torture of detainees, the writer stumbles onto dangerous secrets.

The film roasts former UK PM Tony Blair, as Brosnan’s role is a thinly-veiled portrayal of the former British prime minister. Ewan McGregor is no fan of Tony Blair, but he says the message is bigger than one political figure:

Although it criticizes him, it’s saying our politicians, especially those who hold the highest office, should still be accountable for their actions and not above the law. In Great Britain last week, Tony Blair had to sit before a panel and answer questions about decisions he made that took us into the Iraq war in the first place.

I don’t know what’ll happen with that ultimately, or whether it will help the pain of families who have lost kids in that war. But I think it’s right. And I would like very much to see Bush facing a panel and to hear his explanations about the decisions he made that took America into that war.

The movie is fabulous and a great diversion from the cold February weather.  Not to mention the fact that Pierce Brosnan could read my dryer warranty and make it interesting. Check out more on The Ghost Writer website or the Summit Entertainment website.