The Ghost Writer

No amount of controversies can take away someone’s talent. And no one can personify it in recent times more than the much hated Roman Polanski. Eccentric, different, slow, unconventional are some of the words one would associate with the extremely talented director. Over the years, Polanski has given us many a movie that may not have been liked by people but 2 words that could not be associated with his style of movie making would be bad and boring. One cannot fault him too much with areas such as attention to detail – or maybe I am not that experienced with Polanski movies. I have seen Chinatown and The Ninth Gate to date both of which were very well made. It is therefore a surprise that there are some very obvious pieces of his work with The Ghost Writer that come across as jarring errors in otherwise very clean movie.

Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan) is the ex Prime Minister of Britain and is a much maligned person. More so in recent times when his older adversaries are pinning the blame of war crimes in Iraq onto him and calling for his head. His old friend Richard Rycart (Robert Pugh) has now turned enemy thanks to Lang moving him out of office during his days in 10 Downing Street. Rycart is leading the band of protestors that are asking Lang to be tried by the International Court of Justice. But not that easy since Lang now stays in the US where he cannot be arrested for the allegation. Lang is clearly uncomfortable with the arrangement and wants to get back home but stays back reluctantly. His wife Ruth (Olivia Williams) is quite convinced that the US will support him in his fight against these allegations.

Lang is writing his memoirs and needs the services of a Ghost writer. Especially because his current one dies in quite mysterious circumstances and is found washes ashore one day (Lang lives on an island close to Boston – like his wife says its like being married to Napoleon on St. Helena). The new Ghost Writer (Ewan McGregor) takes up the job – who wouldn’t if you were paid quarter of a million pounds to do that? He quickly finds out that there is a lot of mystery around this entire ghost writing thing and wonders what the secrecy around the entire book is. Especially since he is mugged – rather unconvincingly – right after he decides to accept the contract for ghost writing. As he goes through the manuscript, which he finds atrocious to say the least, he finds out that there is more to the death of his predecessor or should we say murder.

Polanski builds up the tempo and the mystery in the entire movie slowly but surely like some eerie ghost story with fabulous use of the dark – which is typical Polanski. Add to that the haunting music that keeps you squirming in your seat. But as mentioned earlier, there were times when you could not help but cringe that there were enough and more errors. Like most of the photographs seem to be too obviously photoshopped. But these are definitely over riden but the great dialogues and quite good acting on display. Ewan McGregor with his usual confused expression carries out the role of the Ghost Writer with great ease. Pierce Brosnan is at his confident arrogant self that we have come to associate with. The support cast is also quite solid. This one is a movie worth watching whether you are a Polanski fan or not. 7 on 10.

Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3376022553/

Mamma Mia!

I wonder how Mamma Mia! did when it was launched a couple of years back in India. I thought I was one of the few people who was unable to watch it then. But I am guessing it should have. I mean it is as good as a Bollywood love story – only much bolder, much more slickly made, much much much much better acting talent on display and much more ABBA thrown in for good measure.


Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is all of 20 (and I challenge someone to believe that!!!! With her face she doesn’t look a day over 15 – but in the real world she will be 25 in a month). She has been bought up on a Greek island by her single mother, Donna (Meryl Streep). She is about to get married in a few days to Sky (Dominic Cooper – who is also her boyfriend in the real world). But she is a confused soul. She feels a void in her life. She is troubled with a question – Who will walk her down the aisle? Who will give her away? The worry is not that she doesn’t have a father. The worry is she doesn’t know who her father is. Its Donna’s well kept secret all these years.

But the wily Sophie digs around and finds her mother’s old diary – coincidentally of course. She traces the diary back to 20 years ago and is now even more confused. She could have been fathered by one of 3 possible men that her mother was seeing at that time. Now Donna was not promiscuous in any manner. She just moved out of failed relationships much quicker than anyone else. So now, Sophie has zeroed down to one of 3 possibilities – Bill (Stellan Skarsgard) – an adventurous writer, Sam (Pierce Brosnan) – an architect & Harry (Colin Firth) – a extremely successful financial advisor of sorts. Obviously her mother will not hear any of it an so without a choice, Sophie – to the background of “I have a dream” – sends across invitations on her mother’s behalf to all of them – What’s to lose anyways?

The movie unfolds at a really solid pace after this. Mind you, I have only written about the first 10-15 mins till now. Mamma Mia! is a beautifully made movie, with a generous dressing of ABBA. Almost every ABBA number worth its salt and even not worth its salt finds a place either through normal dialogues or full fledged songs. And mind you – all songs are not the studio versions but covered by the actors themselves. Simply amazing I say!!! I picked up the soundtrack much before the movie (a quizzer’s habit) and was floored with the voices of Streep, Walters, Seyfried and Brosnan. Thanks to DVD – I have seen the movie as well now.

No point in waxing eloquent about the seasoned Meryl Streep, Julie Walters, Stellan Skarsgard, Pierce Brosnan or Colin Firth, all of who have very rarely or never disappointed on screen. Who stands out is Amanda Seyfried. She seems to have come a really long way from her days of portraying the bimbo Karen Smith in Mean Girls. Mental note made to watch Letters to Juliet which is her latest flick. She seems to be very comfortable on screen and most importantly not over awed by the really huge stars. Direction was pretty much spot on with very little loose ends towards the second half. Phyllida Lloyd comes on tops in her first serious attempt to date. Overall a 7 on 10. Must must watch.