Despite the almost too obvious references to the early-to-mid 2000's (Haliburton, Tony Blair & Condoleeza Rice, waterboarding, and more make less-than-subtle appearances disguises as fictional cousins of themselves) socio-political climate--especially between Great Britain and the US, I loved this film.
Had director Roman Polanski not already been in the news for his fugitive tendencies, which overshadowed all other parts of this film's press tour, I think the merits of his work would have been furthered by our media. It's such classic and thorough Polanski, I think if this ends up being his last film, it's simply and solidly a testament to his vision.
It has mood. Almost Hitchcockian, The Ghost Writer keeps you on the edge of your seat without guns, fast car chases, or even blasts of cursing or shouting. The furtive glances Ewan McGregor makes through his rearview mirror as the piano creepily plops along...aah! I felt the same way I did during Rear Window or Dial M for Murder.
Not that Polanski copied Hitchcock. No, his own tone was all over this. Largely set in a stormy Martha's Vineyard (with interludes in London), the film is a work of art in itself. From Kim Cattrell's perfectly tailored suits (in shades of black, white, and grey), to Olivia Williams' tinge of grey in her hair and her casually sweeping black yoga suits with scarves, the costumes are subtly tied into the larger atmosphere on set.
The main house is floor to ceiling glass walls with views of a gravelly Atlantic. The few walls with no windows are cinderblock with more floor to ceiling pieces of modern art. Again, all muted colors. The effect highlights the actors, as their skin and hair and lips are the main bursts of color in the film, their language extending out of those hues, making the audience grab onto every word and glance, a habit the majority won't realize they started until thinking back on the movie days later.
If you're already a fan of earlier Polanski thrillers like Chinatown, or other Polanski visual renderings a'la The Pianist, you will like this film. If you're not into any of this, but you like thriller or suspenseful movies and your partner refuses to sit through anything with The Rock or his equivalent in it, this movie is also for you.
