Imagine an Alfred Hitchcock movie going at a
snail's pace or more interested in telling the story than entertaining
the audience and you have "The Ghost Writer" plus you have a rear nude
shot of Ewan McGregor--John
slept through that!  LOL

There is very little doubt that the main
character, played by Pierce Brosnon, is based on Tony Blair and all the
political story lines, such as water boarding, accusations against the
government leaders in England and the United States, are about our world
in the first decade of the new century.

The fact that
Ewan McGregor, as the ghost
writer, never has a name is odd because there are many moments when he
should have one and it is almost as if you are waiting to hear it.
Whether his role is written as such he plays it as a ghost without
emotion just sort of floating through the movie.

Pierce Brosnan is everything his role
calls for as a Prime Minister with charm to spare, and is direct, sexy,
humorous and hard hitting. Too bad his performance will be forgotten by
Oscar time. Kim Cattrall, as
his all around assistant/aide and possible mistress, leaves her Sex and
the City character behind. Olivia Williams as his wife appears as the
politicians good wife and, yet, is much more. There is a cameo by Eli Wallach, Timothy Hutton in a role
completely opposite of the one he plays in Damages while John Belushi
plays a pivotal role and Tom Wilkinson is not who he appears to be.

Once again a house in a movie steals a lot
and the Prime Minister's house, supposedly on Martha's Vineyard but
actually in Germany, is a stunner.

Polanski does a good job in what seems to be a
homage to Hitchcock but the movie needs the latter's touch even if the former
does take-offs of many of Hitchcock's obvious trademarks. I did keep on
waiting for Hitchcock to make one of his infamous appearances.

Though it turns out to be a good mystery and the political takes are
interesting it was too slow moving for me.