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The Ghost Writer (2010)

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Top Critics

Average Rating: 7.4/10
Reviews Counted: 195
Fresh: 163 | Rotten: 32

While it may lack the revelatory punch of Polanski's finest films, Ghost Writer benefits from stylish direction, a tense screenplay, and a strong central performance from Ewan McGregor.

Average Rating: 7.4/10
Critic Reviews: 37
Fresh: 30 | Rotten: 7

While it may lack the revelatory punch of Polanski's finest films, Ghost Writer benefits from stylish direction, a tense screenplay, and a strong central performance from Ewan McGregor.

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Movie Info

A ghostwriter stumbles onto a secret that places his life in danger as he takes down the life story of a former U.K. prime minister in this Roman Polanski-helmed adaptation of the Robert Harris novel. Convinced by his agent that he's been granted a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, talented British screenwriter "The Ghost" (Ewan McGregor) agrees to aid British prime minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan) in completing his memoirs after the leader's former aide dies under mysterious circumstances.

PG-13, 2 hr. 8 min.

Drama, Mystery & Suspense

Directed By: Roman Polanski

Written By: Robert Harris

In Theaters: Feb 19, 2010 Wide

On DVD: Aug 3, 2010

Box Office:$11.0M

Summit Entertainment

The Ghost Writer Trailer & Photos

More Photos (14)

Cast

Ewan McGregor
The Ghost
Pierce Brosnan
Adam Lang
Kim Cattrall
Amelia Bly
Olivia Williams
Ruth Lang
Tom Wilkinson
Paul Emmett
Jim Belushi
James Maddox
Eli Wallach
Old Man
Timothy Hutton
Sidney Kroll
Robert Pugh
Robert Rycart
David Rintoul
Stranger
Jon Bernthal
Rick Rickardelli
Tim Preece
Roy
Anna Botting
SKY TV Newsreader
Yvonne Tomlinson
Stewardess
Milton Welch
Taxi Driver
Alister Mazzotti
Protection Officer No. ...
Tim Faraday
Barry
Kate Copeland
Alice
Soogi Kang
Dep
Hong Thay Lee
Duc
John Keogh
Protection Officer No. ...
Hans-Peter Sussner
Protection Officer No. ...
Stuart Austen
Protection Officer No. ...
Marianne Graffam
Lucy
Morgane Polanski
Hotel Receptionist
Andy G�ting
Protection Officer No. ...
Robert Wallhofer
Protection Officer No. ...
Glenn Conroy
Barman
Robert Seeliger
CNN Newscaster
Clayton Nemrow
Journalist
Julia Kratz
Woman with Bullhorn
Nyasha Hatendi
Josh
Daphne Alexander
Connie
Angelique Fernandez
War Crimes Prosecutor
Anne Whittman
CNN Newscaster
Michael S. Ruscheinsky
CNN Reporter
Mo Asumang
U.S. Secretary of State
Sylke Ferber
Island Ferry Attendant
Desiree Erasmus
Nancy Emmett
Errol Shaker
Mainland Ferry Attendan...
Errol Harewood
C.I.A. Agent on Ferry
Talin Lopez
C.I.A. Agent on Ferry
Joel Kirby
Motel Receptionist
Regine Hentschel
Diner Waitress
Jeff Burrell
Frank
Daniel Sutton
Hatherton Stewart
Eben Young
FBI Agent
Jaymes Butler
FBI Agent

Critic Reviews for The Ghost Writer

All Critics (195) | Top Critics (37) | Fresh (165) | Rotten (33) | DVD (7)

Polanski's 'The Ghost Writer': Cosmpolitan Composition

July 20, 2010 Full Review Source: Passionate Moviegoer

| Comment

Joe Baltake

Passionate Moviegoer

Top Critic

The result is a political thriller refreshingly long on grown-up dialogue yet lamentably shy on, well, thrills. This chatty thing does go on.

March 5, 2010 Full Review Source: Globe and Mail

| Comments (5)

Rick Groen

Globe and Mail

Top Critic

The swirl of visual poetry, political intrigue and personal zeal that Polanski creates gets under your skin and brings an icy hand up your back. This is moviemaking.

March 5, 2010 Full Review Source: Detroit News

| Comments (2)

Tom Long

Detroit News

Top Critic

Polanski is in total command of his medium, something that hasn't been a sure thing since the 1970s, The Pianist notwithstanding.

March 5, 2010 Full Review Source: Toronto Star

| Comment

Peter Howell

Toronto Star

Top Critic

So elegant, so deliciously scary, so masterfully controlled that you feel tingles of bliss even as your skin crawls.

March 4, 2010 Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune

| Comment

Colin Covert

Minneapolis Star Tribune

Top Critic

Another director would almost certainly have bobbled this devilish mixture of paperback suspense, political chicanery, and jet-black comedy. In Polanski's hands, it's an unholy pleasure: a diversion that stings.

March 4, 2010 Full Review Source: Boston Globe

| Comment

Ty Burr

Boston Globe

Top Critic

The Ghost Writer is tense, unsettling and deeply thrilling because of the way a master filmmaker looks at the world.

May 1, 2011 Full Review Source: Parallax View

| Comment

Richard T. Jameson

Parallax View

Polanski's a master of carefully drawing you in that cold gray place where everything is wrong, no one sleeps well and secrets are hidden from the hapless main character until it's too late for anyone to make it out with their lives or souls intact.

April 4, 2011 Full Review Source: Movies.com

| Comment

Dave White

Movies.com

For all of it's mirroring of real life circumstances, The Ghost Writer's shrouded revelations are ever transitory.

March 9, 2011 Full Review Source: Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema

| Comment

Mark Pfeiffer

Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema

The great thing about Brosnan's performance is that his character's shadow looms over the entire film, yet Brosnan never resorts to chewing the scenery or becoming a Blair charicature.

February 17, 2011 Full Review Source: The Standard

| Comment

Matt Neal

The Standard Source: The Standard

Polanski's skills are obvious in his compositions and patience, and a nervous energy hovers over much of the picture...yet I consistently felt disengaged, like the pacing was mismanaged.

January 30, 2011 Full Review Source: Film and Felt

| Comment

Gabe Leibowitz

Film and Felt

Polanski es un gran cineasta, y aqu� lo demuestra - una vez m�s - en una narraci�n atrapante que combina suspenso con humor negro (...)

January 19, 2011 Full Review Source: Uruguay Total

| Comment

Enrique Buchichio

Uruguay Total

I would not put the narrative conceit The Ghost Writer perpetrates in its final moments past a doped up high school sophomore in a screenwriting elective.

January 10, 2011 Full Review Source: Bangitout.com

| Comment

Jordan Hiller

Bangitout.com

An often-tense affair that comes with just the right amount of cynicism, a great cast, and one that treats the audience with a modicum of intelligence.

November 7, 2010 Full Review Source: Flicks.co.nz

| Comment (1)

Steve Newall

Flicks.co.nz

Polanski at near the top of his form

October 8, 2010 Full Review Source: CultureCatch

| Comment

Brandon Judell

CultureCatch

Polanski does an excellent job evoking an increasing sense of paranoia and danger.

August 27, 2010 Full Review Source: Cinema Autopsy

| Comment

Thomas Caldwell

Cinema Autopsy

The Greyscale Adventures Of Tony Blair: SuperSpy (as I call it) is a deliberately directed, well acted and classy treatment of a plot that is so balls-out ridiculous I firmly believe the writer wears a tin-foil hat.

August 17, 2010 Full Review Source: Channel 10 Australia

| Comment (1)

Marc Fennell

Channel 10 Australia Source: Channel 10 Australia

Polanski grinds the gears to entertaining effect, never losing pace from beginning to end, while not necessarily offering anything new.

August 17, 2010 Full Review Source: Window to the Movies

| Comment

Jeffrey Chen

Window to the Movies

We're all entitled to our own opinions regarding his past but Polanski deserves credit as a filmmaker. The Ghost Writer proves that he's as good as ever at the age of 77.

August 16, 2010 Full Review Source: ABC Radio Brisbane

| Comment

Matthew Toomey

ABC Radio Brisbane

Polanski's master touch, his attention to framing, lighting, to every detail, and his wicked visual witticisms make it a joy for any film lover. Welcome back, Roman.

August 12, 2010 Full Review Source: MovieTime, ABC Radio National

| Comment

Julie Rigg

MovieTime, ABC Radio National

This effort joins the director's Frantic in the "jet-lag" category where mind and body can never quite catch up with a new, deeply problematic -- and probably dangerous -- environment.

August 12, 2010 Full Review Source: sbs.com.au

| Comment

Lisa Nesselson

sbs.com.au

[E]legant, gripping... gorgeously simple to look at yet deeply involving in its story...

August 12, 2010 Full Review Source: Flick Filosopher

| Comment

MaryAnn Johanson

Flick Filosopher

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for The Ghost Writer

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THE GHOST WRITER was very engaging. Rescan those points above, intertwine them with the spellbinding score by Alexandre Desplat (this is the kind of film he should be scoring), and you probably understand what I refer to. It also seemed a bit uneven. Seeing it as your average movie fan, I loved it, but when I tried

March 11, 2012

Alexander Diminiano

Super Reviewer

Not the best conspiracy film but under the hand of Roman Polanski, it entertains you long enough to finish it.

March 4, 2012

paul oh

Super Reviewer

The Ghost Writer Quotes

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1. Ruth Lang: I see you've taken out the Lang family tree [from the memoirs]. Adam's very proud of the Langs.
2. The Ghost: You know, if you want a family tree, go to a garden center.
– Submitted by Christian B (35 days ago)
1. The Ghost: Hey Rick. Now they want the book in two weeks instead of four. Thanks for getting me this job. Can't talk. Some peace protestors are trying to kill me!
– Submitted by Christian B (35 days ago)
1. The Ghost: Why he keeps on calling me 'man'?
2. Amelia Bly: Oh, he [Adam Lang] does this when he can't remember someone's name.
– Submitted by Vesselinka S (2 months ago)
1. The Ghost: It's my first time in a private jet.
2. Amelia Bly: Let's hope it's not your last.
– Submitted by Melisa E (4 months ago)
1. The Ghost: I'm your ghost.
– Submitted by Hanna K (7 months ago)

Submit a Quote from 'The Ghost Writer'

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