The Ghost Writer

If not a masterwork, Roman Polanski’s latest is a work of mastery, so it adds the pleasures of craft to its thriller scenario.  The political conspiracy may not be up to the profundity of Chinatown, but the Hitchcockian motif of the pursued pursuing is handled very neatly. The always-fun-to-watch Ewan McGregor is the unnamed Ghost of the title, brought in to fix the manuscript of memoirs by a former British PM, whose resemblance to Tony Blair is fully intended, though artfully camouflaged in the performance of Pierce Brosnan.  Olivia Williams is his Cherie – and excellent in the role.  They are holed up in the magnificent beach house of the publisher, who’s got a $10 million advance at stake.  With a sterling cast that offers lots of amused recognition – Who is that?  Wait, it’s Jim Belushi.  Hey look at that, it’s 93-year old Eli Wallach! – there’s one casting against type you’ll either love or hate, Kim Cattrall as Brosnan’s aide and Williams’ rival (Samantha as a starchy Brit!).  And for unusual casting, you have to single out the north coast of Germany as a surprisingly convincing Martha’s Vineyard.  (Polanski no doubt enjoying the irony that his central character is hiding out in America to avoid international justice, while the director himself hides out in Europe to avoid American justice).  This is smoothly made, visually impressive, darkly humorous entertainment -- a deft piece of work from an old master, whether or not he is also a dirty old man.  (2010, dvd)  *7+*  (MC-77)

This is my chance to insert a brief postscript on another portrayal of the dark side of Tony Blair, which I watched some time ago: the HBO original movie The Special Relationship (2010).  Michael Sheen can probably do Tony Blair in his sleep, after this third incarnation.  Dennis Quaid is half-convincing as Bill Clinton (but does not win the presidential face-off with his brother Randy, who was a very memorable LBJ). Hope Davis has some good moments as Hillary.  Helen McCrory is Cherie here.  The film begins with a montage of Presidential-Prime Ministerial handshakes starting with FDR and Churchill, before it drops us into the courtship of Bill and Tony, and tries to answer the question: who’s screwing who?  There is sweep and wit in the high diplomatic scene setting, and some neat turns of character and maneuver, but ultimately the story peters out, as does our respect for Blair, with the clincher of real-life news footage of him behaving like “Bush’s poodle.”  (cf. The Ghost Writer for another theory on what was behind that.)