The Ghost Writer Blu-ray delivers stunningly beautiful video and superb audio in this overall recommended Blu-ray release
After his predecessor perishes under mysterious circumstances, a ghostwriter agrees to help a former British prime minister finish his memoirs, but the author but finds himself in danger when he uncovers a web of secrets and corruption.
Embattled Director Roman Polanski's (Chinatown) The
Ghost Writer is an oftentimes brilliant picture
that's engaging, well-made, and fairly acted, but it's also a picture, it would seem, of little lasting
resonance, one that's admirable for its craftsmanship but that ultimately comes up a bit short in
terms of
purpose and relevance. That doesn't mean it's not worth a watch -- or two or three. The picture's
brilliance lies in its contrasts, settings, and the way Polanski handles the purposefully
slow-to-develop story line. The lack of
action is
evident, but The Ghost Writer doesn't set out to blow anything away -- other than the
viewer's
mind, of course. It's a fascinatingly intense picture built on a foundation of intrigue rather than
muscle, of deliberateness rather than speed, of style but not completely absent substance. It's a
picture, too, constructed by
political overtones -- overtones that define the entirety
of the plot -- that will be readily evident to those that keep up with the latest headlines, but
viewers
who
might not see the parallels to recent history or who simply choose to ignore them in favor of the
story line will find plenty to love in The Ghost Writer. No matter the real-world
similarities, though, The Ghost Writer proves a slickly-produced picture sure to captivate
cinephiles even through its political veil and lack of lasting resonance.
The gang watches 'The World is Not Enough' with great displeasure.
Former English Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan, The Tailor of Panama)
has been paid a handsome $10 million sum for his memoirs. He's got a good story to tell, but
there's only one problem: he's not a writer, and his previous "ghost writer" has recently turned up
dead. Enter "The Ghost" (Ewan McGregor, Angels & Demons),
the man hired as the replacement writer and given the assignment of working with Lang at his
Massachusetts vacation house. The Ghost is given a one-month deadline to edit a hulk of a
manuscript that's got more problems than promise, but it's not the daunting task of fixing it up
that ultimately gets The Ghost scared stiff. Immediately after work begins on the manuscript,
Lang finds
himself in hot water for facilitating the torture of terror suspects by the CIA. With that and
pending war crimes charges looming, The Ghost takes on an added and unwelcome dimension to
his work, not to mention a shortened deadline.
Complicating matters is his belief that there's something more about Lang and those around him
both then and now that's not found in the
text, at least upon casual inspection. The Ghost uncovers clues about both the findings of
his deceased predecessor and Adam Lang's past, leading him to believe that there may be
something greater at work in the text than a replay of British
and world
politics and the musings of a former Prime Minister.
The Ghost Writer is a superbly-executed traditional three-act structure picture that builds
on
a nicely-realized introductory set-up that takes a turn towards its ultimate destination as the
second
act opens with a development that's sure to quickly tear apart the foundations laid at the start.
The
picture culminates with the revelation, a revelation that's worth the effort and remains wonderfully
clandestine until the end, a revelation that demands subsequent viewings whereby the search for
the subtle
clues Polanski
litters about the film can supersede the need to pay closer attention to the generalized plot
advancements. Still, it's not so much the story but the style that makes The Ghost
Writer a winner. Polanski manages to pull off one of cinema's most difficult tasks, constructing
a
picture that's absent much physical action but nevertheless remains a riveting, edge-of-the-seat
type
experience built not on adrenaline but the mystery, emotion, and craftsmanship that take the
picture
from the realm of lackadaisical Thriller to pertinent mind-bender. If there's a fault, it's not in the
lack of guns, explosions, and fast car chases, but in that the story just doesn't seem to find much
purpose beyond its superficial existence. The Ghost Writer seems wanting for some
greater
message that never really comes and while everything else about the picture is first-rate, that
gaping hole where the picture's legacy should be seems as obvious as Polanski's exceptional
handiwork behind the camera and his actors' in front of it.
The Ghost Writer also succeeds as a picture of stark contrasts that help define the film's
purpose and plot. Most evident is the difference between the film's two lead characters. One,
known only as "The Ghost," is portrayed as an apolitical figure, a man who shuns the spotlight but
isn't scared away by the difficult assignment, nor does he fear challenging himself and
facing the truth, no matter how dangerous or damning it may be. His job as a "ghost writer"
implies invisibility and the clandestine, and his lack of a given name, too, further reinforces his
anonymity. On the flip side is Adam Lang, a world figure that can't escape the camera or the
headlines, a man with as many enemies that would just as soon see him dead as friends ready
with shovels to build him a monument. The film plays this contrast for all its worth, just as it does
the juxtaposition behind the construction of a memoir meant to shine light on an individual but
that's kept under lock and key; that may contain world-shaking revelations that aren't printed
clearly and succinctly anywhere within the text; and resides within the rainy, gloomy, and cold
surroundings of the
Massachusetts-in-wintertime setting. Ultimately, however, for as strong as the film may be, its
plot advancements
rely on too many crutches of modern technology; is piecing together an international mystery
really as simple as
listening to a seemingly wayward GPS device and typing in a few keywords into a search engine?
In The Ghost Writer, the answer is "yes," but while these and other elements lean towards
the convenient, Polanski masks the shortcomings of the story well enough through the prism of
exceptional filmmaking and wonderful performances from his cast, notably a fine but brief effort
from veteran Tom Wilkinson.
The Ghost Writer pens a flawless masterpiece of a high definition transfer. Framed at 2.34:1
and
presented in 1080p, Roman Polanski's picture looks fantastic on Blu-ray from every angle. This is an
immaculately clean, crisp, clear, and perfectly-defined image that boasts exceptional depth, detailing,
and color. Slight grain is retained to give the picture a strong film-like appearance, and the print is free
of any errant speckles, dirt, or other unwanted anomalies. Likewise, intrusive elements such as
blocking, banding, and aliasing are never evident in the transfer. Viewers will note the intricate details
on everything from fuzzy carpet and rough pavement to brick walls and the texture of paper, and to
make matters only better, even distant and unimportant background objects like buildings and vehicles
retain superior
definition. Shadow detail is first-rate and blacks are superbly rich and defined, while flesh tones retain
a neutral tint throughout. Colors, too, are exemplary, even if the film does take on a predominantly
cold and gray color palette. Brighter shades -- a red bus, a yellow bag -- positively sparkle, adding
another feather in the cap of one of Blu-ray's best transfers.
Summit brings The Ghost Writer to Blu-ray with a pristine DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack.
It's primarily of the talky Drama/Thriller type, but Summit's track nevertheless squeezes every ounce
of vigor it can out of the material, and the result is a stable and oftentimes awe-inspiring listen that
delivers the goods on a scale that ranges from robust bass to the slightest of nuances. The track is
dotted with several strongly-realized atmospheric elements, including driving rain, honking car horns,
blowing wind, and gently rolling waters, all playing seamlessly throughout the soundstage and creating
a wonderfully immersive 360-degree sound field. The low end kicks in at several junctures, whether
the lesser sounds of protestors beating on car windows or a jet engine rumbling across the soundstage.
Music enjoys a seamlessness that's found in only the best soundtracks, yielding a wonderful sense of
space that seems to eliminate the speakers and expand the soundstage well beyond its physical
limitations. Supported by pitch-perfect dialogue, The Ghost Writer sounds almost as good as it
looks on Blu-ray.
This BD-59 "flipper" disc of The Ghost Writer features the Blu-ray on one side of the disc and a
DVD copy on the other; both versions contain the same array of extra features. First up is 'The
Ghost Writer:' Fiction or Reality? (1080p, 10:46), a short piece that features Writer Robert Harris
discussing his book,
its inspirations, the characters, the picture's Hitchcockian overtones, his personal and working
relationship with
Roman Polanski, the picture's ending, and more. The Cast of 'The Ghost Writer' (1080p,
11:48) is a pat-on-the-back piece that features the primary cast sharing the pleasures of working with
one another while praising the quality of one another's work. Finally, An Interview With Roman
Polanski (1080p,
8:38) features the director sharing his thoughts on various aspects of the picture, including the story,
Harris' novel, the political overtones, the cast, sets and shooting locales, and more.
The Ghost Writer doesn't seem destined to remembered alongside the greats of cinema or
even amongst the cream of the crop found on Director Roman Polanski's resumé, but it's nevertheless
a taut, well-constructed Thriller with a foundation built on real-world elements suitably fictionalized
for mass entertainment consumption. Based on a novel by Robert Harris, The Ghost Writer --
with its complex characters, layered themes, slow-to-develop story, and plot subtleties -- does play
more like a page-turner than a lively cinematic Thriller, but Polanski pulls off the slow pace and the
story's many nuances superbly. The lone problem: there doesn't seem to be a legacy or a purpose
here beyond political commentary and, of course, the crafting of a solid motion picture. Still, The
Ghost Writer is worth a watch, more than one, actually, for all it has to offer from a technical and
structural perspective, though the film seems one that's more likely to disappear into the pile of "good
movies long forgotten" than it is to be remembered as an always-watchable classic. Summit's Blu-ray
release of The Ghost Writer sports a flawless 1080p transfer and a lossless soundtrack that's
almost as good, but it comes up well short of a proper supplemental presentation. Recommended as a
buy for fans and as a rental for newcomers.
Summit Entertainment has announced that it will release the Roman Polanski-directed thriller The Ghost Writer on August 3, on a "single-disc DVD/Blu-ray combo." This is the first time a new release is coming out on this two-sided, two-format disc presentation.
