Review of The Ghost Writer (2010) by Abemc — 05 Jul 2016

Slow-moving suspense that is beautifully filmed and well-acted. Ewan MacGregor is really extraordinary in The Ghost Writer; he dominates the screen by being almost completely self-effacing. That's probably as much a testament to Polanski as it is to MacGregor. I've enjoyed Olivia Williams' acting since A Heart of Me (2002), and she is great again. And though his scenes are few, Brosnan really gets to chew the dramatic scenery. Speaking of scenery, the north coast of Germany subbed for the Massachusetts coast; it's bleak, sandy and wind-swept. Alexandre Desplat created an oddly unique score; it felt out of place in the beginning, but seemed to fit more and more as relationships were tested and bonds broken.

So what kept me from giving The Ghost Writer a higher score? While possessed of a clever ending, I didn't find the suspense of the film to be very, well, suspenseful. Even when I didn't know what would happen next, I didn't find myself surprised by what did happen. Given that this is billed as a suspense thriller, it was a bit of a let-down. I still enjoyed the drama and the interplay of relationships, though, so The Ghost Writer is an easy recommendation from that point of view. And Polanski's skills are clearly as sharp as ever.