The Ghost Writer

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A man (Ewan McGregor) hired to ghost write a memoir for a controversial politician (Pierce Brosnan) gets caught up in a political plot that could potentially lead to his death.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Kim Cattrall, Olivia Williams, Tom Wilkinson, Robert Pugh, Jon Bernthal, Timothy Hutton, James Belushi, Eli Wallach

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. This thriller doesn't genuinely scare you because you're never quite sure what's going on. My opinion is that-- at least by the time it's over-- a thriller should make you feel smart.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: The humor is so subtle, that the wife of the politician had to point out that the ghost writer was funny, before I even noticed that he'd been cracking jokes.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: From the architecture to the weather, it's cold and emotionless.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Most exciting Behind the Scenes intrigue... you know what I'm talking about.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: You know that Ewan, Pierce, and Tom Wilkinson are always great so let's talk about Jon Bernthal, who stands out as someone to watch, even in this relatively small and standard role, as the writer's agent. James Belushi shows us that when you shave his head bald, he instantly transforms from comedic patriarch to serious dramatic actor. And Kim Cattrall, unfortunately, proves to have a limited range, both in acting and in accents.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Clearly comfortable in his skin, Roman Polanski doesn't showboat much in this piece, except for the last shot of the movie, which is the stuff that future film class history will be made of.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: You know something is wrong with the story when you notice the score building to something scary, and you find yourself looking around the screen wondering, "What am I supposed to be getting nervous about right now?" Ultimately, the political plot line is too complicated and hard to follow (especially in so much as people's motives are concerned), and the pay off doesn't make you feel like there was anything all that interesting to figure out in the first place.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: Here are some questions for those of you who have seen it: What was the manuscript the lawyer gives Ewan at the beginning, and what was the significance of that in the movie? When he's at the Ferry motel, why does Ewan decide to trust Robert Rycart? Why does he write down the information he has figured out, and pass it in a note to the person it concerns? What was the very end conclusion trying to say? (I mean, beside the obvious action that occurs.) Why did that occur and what was the greater meaning of it?

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-ghost-writer/32030/trailers

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Battle in Seattle

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A fictional retelling of true events, Battle in Seattle follows an organized group of peaceful rioters, as they stand in protest with tens of thousands of other, against the World Trade Organization, which is meeting in their hometown for five days. Unfortunately, when the police begin attacking them, things don't stay peaceful for long.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Martin Henderson, Michelle Rodriguez, Woody Harrelson, Charlize Theron, Andre Benjamin, Ray Liotta, Rade Serbedzija, Joshua Jackson, Connie Nielsen, Channing Tatum, Jennifer Carpenter, Ivana Milicevic, Isaach De Bankole, Tzi Ma

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Selfishly, I want to send you all to this movie just in case you don't already know what the WTO is doing to put commercialism ahead of both the individual human being and the environment that sustains us. Not only that, but certain heretofore unnamed world powers within the World Trade Organization (take a lucky guess who) use their position to suppress the rights of Third World countries, keeping them in a constant state of bankruptcy, which in comparison, makes our own financial crisis seem not so bad. So please take my impure intentions into consideration before you rush out to see this one. But do me a favor, if you decide to skip it, at least try to do a little personal research on the WTO.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Andre 3000 has a couple of funny moments. But none of them are quite as funny as the fact that he has a four digit number in his name.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: You'll probably cry more by doing your research on the World Trade Organization-- another well intentioned group, turned evil in the face of greed.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: After the film, I sat through the first 5 minutes of a Q & A with writer-director, Stuart Townsend, during which he mentioned that they're releasing the film now because it's, "After the Summer Blockbuster season and before Awards Season." So clearly they're not expecting any.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: If you can get past Martin Henderson's New Zealand accent coming in and out of his attempt at an American one, and if you can get past Michelle Rodriguez's one-note, angry-at-the-world act, and if you can get past Connie Nielsen's spontaneous turn from caricatured bitch on wheels of a news reporter, who will do anything for a story, to a suddenly compassionate supporter of human rights... Whew-- that's a lot to get past... But my point is Andre Benjamin is delightful in all his optimism, Channing Tatum, in a very small role, gives one of his most naturalistic performances to date, and Rade Serbedzija is spot on-- so long as you can get past the fact that he's playing a French man, but when he gets angry, he curses in his native language: Yugoslavian?

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Stuart Townsend, who's never directed before, does a surprisingly good job of seamlessly interweaving actual documentary footage of the events with newly shot fictional footage, involving his made up characters. He will direct again.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Also during the Q & A, Townsend mentioned that his objective was to inspire audiences to demonstrate, and to anger people into action. While I was angered, I left the theater feeling more hopeless about the individual's ability to make a difference, than I felt inspired to try it. On the other hand, it's sad that it took an Irishman to stand up and make a statement about an American historical event, that most of us here aren't even thinking about... So maybe I should at least be inspired by him.

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