In Roman Polanski’s latest thriller “The Ghost Writer”, Ewan McGregor plays a likable British author who is hired at the last minute to rewrite the memoirs of former Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan).  On his first day at the job, McGregor learns two distressing facts: his predecessor died a mysterious death only a few days earlier, and his boss is being investigated for war crimes.

Of course, in films like this, “mysterious death” is all too often code for murder, and the secrets that the former ghost may have discovered drive the unraveling enigmas of this film. With the threat of prosecution by the International Criminal Court looming over his head like the dreary storm clouds that are ever present in this film, Lang’s retelling of his rise to political power raises questions for McGregor’s unnamed writer. Throw in Lang’s estranged yet thoroughly strong wife (played by a brilliant Olivia Williams), and McGregor can’t help but explore whatever secrets that may have killed his colleague.

Polanski’s latest maintains a wonderfully calculated pace that held my interest throughout. Although a two and a half hour film about a former Prime Minister’s memoirs and his ghost writer wouldn’t appear to spark intrigue, Polanski and writer Robert Harris (who wrote the novel upon which the movie is based) kept me entertained with a slow build up of suspense and clever dialogue.

While McGregor’s performance was rather distant and not as strong as I would have liked, he still managed to keep me entertained. Brosnan, however, played the Prime Minister with the careful conviction of a wavering politician, and was second only in performance to Olivia Williams, who wonderfully portrayed Lang’s wife. Williams played Ruth Lang powerfully, and seemed to be the only actor who was fully invested in his or her role.

Though “The Ghost Writer” didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat, it was certainly engaging from start to finish. With a smart script and solid acting, Roman Polanski has yet again crafted a well thought out thriller that never fails to entertain.

“The Ghost Writer” is playing at the State Theater until April 1. View the trailer at the official site here.