The Ghost Writer

It's quite difficult to watch this in the UK and not draw parallels with a certain real former Prime Minister - especially given the way "Lang" is rather chummily played by Pierce Brosnan. He is trying to have his memoirs written, and after an accident robs him of the incumbent, his team alight on a man who shows no interest in or has any knowledge of politics. This nameless character (Ewan McGregor) is given strict instruction about the manuscript, whom he can talk to or about it to and his subject and wife "Ruth" (Olivia Williams) seems approachable enough. His investigations, though, start to arouse a few suspicions - especially when he begins to feel like he is being watched, followed and manipulated. "Lang" is soon publicly caught up in some war crime investigations and his ghost writer starts to wonder just how far his boss went to foster and facilitate the relationship between his country and the USA - where they are now living and working. Add to this internecine play, his secretive secretary "Amelia" (Kim Catrall) and a rather enigmatic contribute from "Emmett" (Tom Wilkinson) and we have the makings of an intricately woven political thriller in which, for a chance, McGregor does well. He does rabbit in the headlights well as his character becomes embroiled in matters well beyond his depth. Roman Polanski keeps the film well paced with the chilly scenario and remote locations playing well to a sense of menace and duplicity. It's a bit sluggish out of the blocks, but once in gear it works well.