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The Ghost Writer (2010)

PG-13 | | Mystery, Thriller | 19 March 2010 (USA)
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A ghostwriter hired to complete the memoirs of a former British prime minister uncovers secrets that put his own life in jeopardy.

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
Tim Preece ...
Roy
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Anna Botting ...
Yvonne Tomlinson ...
...
Taxi Driver
...
Tim Faraday ...
...
Kate Copeland ...
Soogi Kang ...
Dep
Lee Hong Thay ...
Duc
...
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Storyline

An unremarkable ghost-writer has landed a lucrative contract to redact the memoirs of Adam Lang, the former UK Prime Minister. After dominating British politics for years, Lang has retired with his wife to the USA. He lives on an island, in luxurious, isolated premises complete with a security detail and a secretarial staff. Soon, Adam Lang gets embroiled in a major scandal with international ramifications that reveals how far he was ready to go in order to nurture UK's "special relationship" with the USA. But before this controversy has started, before even he has closed the deal with the publisher, the ghost-writer gets unmistakable signs that the turgid draft he is tasked to put into shape inexplicably constitutes highly sensitive material. Written by Eduardo Casais <casaise@acm.org>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

memoir | british prime minister | island | writer | death | See All (285) »

Taglines:

Read between the lies.

Genres:

Mystery | Thriller

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for language, brief nudity/sexuality, some violence and a drug reference | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Official Sites:

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Country:

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Language:

Release Date:

19 March 2010 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

The Ghost Writer  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Box Office

Budget:

$45,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$183,009 (USA) (19 February 2010)

Gross:

$15,523,168 (USA) (11 June 2010)
 »

Company Credits

Production Co:

, ,  »
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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

|

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Writer Robert Harris is a former BBC TV reporter and political columnist who actively supported Tony Blair until the Iraq War, which Harris felt was a mistake. Blair resigned June 26, 2007, spurring Harris to drop his other work to write The Ghost, which was published Sept. 26. Similarities between Blair and Adam Lang, Cherie Blair and Ruth Lang, Hatherton and Halliburton, etc., are clearly intentional. Mo Asumang appears briefly as a Condoleezza Rice look-a-like Secretary of State in a photo op with Lang. See more »

Goofs

When we first see the abandoned BMW on the ferry viewed from the the bow of the ship its front right wheel is parked straight, hard against the yellow lane divider. When we see it alone from above/behind the vehicle is more skewed and across the left-hand line. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
The Ghost: You realize I know nothing about politics.
Rick Ricardelli: You voted for him, didn't you?
The Ghost: Adam Lang? Of course I did, everyone voted for him. He wasn't a politician, he was a craze.
See more »

Crazy Credits

There are no opening credits. The title and cast list do not appear until after the last scene of the movie. See more »

Connections

Featured in Maltin on Movies: Eat Pray Love (2010) See more »

Soundtracks

Marcia Funebre
Allegro Assai from Beethoven's Symphony No. 3
Written by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Symphony Nova Scotia
Conducted by Georg Tintner
Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is "The Ghost Writer" about?
Q: How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
Q: What are the differences between the PG-13 Version and the Uncensored Version?
See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
A great thriller in the tradition of Hitchcock (and Rosemary's Baby)
8 March 2010 | by (Bloomington) – See all my reviews

This is a connoisseur's movie. It needs to be consumed slowly and deliberately to truly enjoy everything that has gone into it. Watch it carefully, there is a lot going on under the surface.

Yes, it's a thriller, and as such parts of it are fast paced, but what it does so well is to misdirect your attention for a while before snapping you back to focus.

There are no wasted words, nor gratuitous scenes in this movie. Just like a Hitchcock movie, the scenes are all necessary, even if they are symbolic.

The acting is first rate, and I say that because much of the tension in the movie comes from the way the characters act, not special effects, not plot points hammered in over and over again.

It is a very dark movie, and the darkness is nicely set off by humor and sarcasm in a few spots.
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