Viewed in
2010
Formats
DVD
Premise
Ewan McGregor plays a writer assigned to ghostwrite for a besieged former British Prime Minister, and finds himself engulfed into the Minister's world of secrecy.
Loved
The performances.
Liked
The aura of mystery.
Disliked
The final twist.
Thoughts
An intriguing film, full of strong dialogue and performances.
The entire cast was excellent, with the likes of Pierce Brosnan, Tom Wilkinson, and Eli Wallach cameo, pitching in wonderful, subtle acting. McGregor was convincing as basically the audience's eyes, as his character unfolded the mystery piece by piece. The creme de la creme was Olivia Williams. She was entrancing as the mentally/emotionally ragged wife of the Brosnan's minister, equally full of subtext.
Director Roman Polanski's ability to get great performances really helped sell the story. There were mysteries abound, and it was interesting to see the layers peeled away from these characters, whether it was war criminal accusations, political motivations, or murder. The closer the truth, the closer the danger, all the more suspenseful.
The cinematography and the overall chilly, foreboding weather helped enhance the aura of mystery and risk. In addition, they were able to slide in some sly humor through out the story.
Like many thrillers, the film makers wanted to turn everything upside-down at the last second, and this was a disservice to the film. As the climax unfolded, I was taken out of the moment. Now I got to go back and question if the first two hours made sense. If I took a moment to think through the scenes, there will probably be plot holes and shallow manipulation. What I did not appreciate was that it felt more like a plot device, whereas the majority of the film succeeded on character subtext.
A smaller issue was the obvious parallels to the George W. Bush/Tony Blair era in the war against terror. These digs at these administrations were distracting, and will lose its impact from the test of time.
While I did not like the destination, the journey was immensely enjoyable, thanks to interesting moments and enthralling performances.
What I would change
The last shot? A bit too convenient for my taste.
Random
For those who fancy Mr. McGregor, there was a nice shot of him butt-naked for your pleasure.
