7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.9 |
After his predecessor perishes under mysterious circumstances, a ghostwriter agrees to help a former British prime minister finish his memoirs, but the author finds himself in danger when he uncovers a web of secrets and corruption.
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Kim Cattrall, Olivia Williams, Tom WilkinsonDrama | 100% |
Psychological thriller | 60% |
Mystery | 33% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.34:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD/DVD)
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
You name it, he ghosts it.
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.
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.
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