Radmila Djurica

The International Film Festival FEST 2010 talks about the Blair Bush administration. Well, not really, but Roman Polanski does! The Office of film festival has got an official letter from Roman Polanski to congratulate and thank FEST 2010 for screening of his new film “The Ghost Writer” in Belgrade. Polanski nowadays is under house arrest in his Swiss House and could not attend The Berlin Film Festival or any other festival because he’s been accused for allegedly having sex with minor, back in 70s. And the movie was actually shot in Germany, where is politically safer for Polanski. And more to congratulate the International Film Festival FEST, the Belgrade premier of “The Ghost Writer” was honored by presence of Ralf Fiennes. There are no bigger honors then this er?

Well let’s say that film “The Ghost Writer” is about Blair-Bush administrations, and might be related to Polanski’s political affair at the moment. Pierce Brosnan plays the Tony Blair no doubt, but in film he is a former Prime Minister Adam Lang in America. And drop dead gorgeous Ewan McGregor is nameless biographer, who has been hired to ghostwrite Lang's memoirs. The ghost writer has been hired because the previous mysteriously drowned. And Lang is accused of encouraging torture and war crimes, if he returns to England. The film has usual love affairs involved, Lang's assistant (Kim Cattrall) has gotten suspiciously close to the boss, which seems to be a problem to his wife (Olivia Williams) to a dangerous degree. Plus unexplained hush hush linking to a hidden house at the woods… Despite of the great adaptation by Polanski and as I heard, of a great Robert Harris novel, the film gives an impression as oddly slack and as it is made in a great hurry. Brosnan is very good just how to make a villain overacts a bit, in order to alert audience before the final twist and McGregor turns in his best. This is a great thriller.

Polanski's well known as an expert at building of intense atmosphere that leaves audience in edgy state so tribute to him. Polanski is also a great example for a filmmaker who suddenly returns to the height of his powers, and "The Ghost Writer" is a thriller made by novel, about contemporary politics today, told with Polanski's well known cynicism, about the helplessness of individuals against the strength of the powerful politicians. There’re definitely a Hitchcockian moments in the film.