The Ghost Writer 2010

As an anonymous British ghostwriter (Ewan McGregor), hired to polish the memoirs of former UK Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan), I find myself drawn into a web of intrigue and deception. The project takes on a somber tone upon arrival, as I learn that my predecessor, Mike McAra, met his untimely demise under mysterious circumstances. His abandoned car was discovered on a ferry, while his lifeless body washed up on a distant beach, sparking whispers of a tragic suicide by jumping into the depths.

As I settle into the quiet Massachusetts village of Old Haven on Martha’s Vineyard, where Lang resides with his wife Ruth (Olivia Williams) and an entourage of servants and security personnel, I’m reminded to keep McAra’s manuscript under wraps, lest it fall into the wrong hands. Amelia Bly (Kim Cattrall), Lang’s personal assistant and mistress, is adamant that the document remains within the secure perimeter.

Just as I begin to navigate this complex world, Lang finds himself entangled in a scandalous controversy. Former Foreign Secretary Richard Rycart (Robert Pugh) levels allegations against him, claiming he authorized the illegal rendition of suspected terrorists and handed them over to the CIA for torture - a possible war crime. Unless Lang remains within the United States or another country that doesn’t recognize the International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction, he faces prosecution.

As reporters and protesters swarm the island, I’m relocated to McAra’s old quarters at Lang’s estate, where personal belongings remain untouched since his passing. It’s here that I stumble upon an envelope containing photographs from Lang’s university days, which hint at a dark secret. The discovery suggests that McAra may have uncovered evidence of a long-buried truth - one that could threaten to upend the very fabric of Lang’s public persona.

Further investigation reveals that Lang had been a member of a clandestine organization for two years prior to meeting Ruth, a fact concealed from the public eye. This revelation is corroborated by handwritten phone numbers left behind, including one that connects me with Rycart himself. The implications are staggering, and I’m forced to confront the possibility that my writing may be mere window dressing for Lang’s true intentions - or worse, a desperate attempt to conceal the truth.

As the writer pedals through the island’s serene landscape on his bicycle, an unexpected encounter with an elderly gentleman (Eli Wallach) sets off a chain of events that will unravel the tangled threads of McAra’s mysterious demise. The old man shares his concerns about the circumstances surrounding McAra’s body washing up on the beach, revealing that the currents would not have carried it from the ferry to the location where it was found. He also discloses that a neighbor witnessed flashlights on the beach around the time McAra’s body turned up, but suffered a mysterious fall and subsequently slipped into a coma.

The writer is later intercepted by Ruth (Ruth Wilson), accompanied by her stoic security detail, who whisk him away to the estate. As they converse in the grandiose setting, Ruth confides that Lang has always been more inclined to heed her counsel, until recent events stirred up a hornet’s nest of emotions. The writer shares the old man’s tale with Ruth, prompting her to flee into the torrential rain, seeking clarity amidst the turmoil.

Upon her return, she opens up to the writer about the heated argument Lang and McAra had engaged in just before his untimely demise. As their conversation deepens, they find themselves drawn to each other, embarking on a romantic interlude that blurs the lines between subject and observer.

The following morning, the writer decides it’s essential to re-establish professional boundaries and retreats to the hotel, commandeering McAra’s car and utilizing its GPS system to navigate to Belmont. This journey leads him to the doorstep of Professor Paul Emmett (Tom Wilkinson), a man with an air of erudition and detachment.

Despite the writer presenting evidence of Lang’s acquaintance with Emmett, including photographs of the two men together, as well as another image adorning Emmett’s study, he vehemently denies any significant connection. However, when the writer reveals that McAra’s car had visited Emmett on the fateful night of his death, the professor’s demeanor shifts from dismissive to evasive.

As the writer departs Emmett’s estate, he finds himself pursued by a vehicle. He abandons the ferry and checks into a humble motel situated near the dock, where he waits out the unwanted attention from the two men who have been tracking him.

As the writer’s desperation reaches a boiling point, he redials Rycart’s cell phone, seeking guidance on how to unravel the tangled threads surrounding Emmett. During the agonizing wait for Rycart’s arrival at the motel, the writer delves deeper into Emmett’s think tank, uncovering links to a military contractor and connections that seem to stretch all the way to the CIA. The research yields a string of clues that hint at Emmett’s intricate web of influence, but it is only when Rycart arrives that the full extent of Emmett’s reach becomes clear. Rycart reveals that McAra had entrusted him with documents detailing Lang’s involvement in torture flights, and that he had penned a provocative manuscript that began by exposing the CIA’s far-reaching tentacles.

As the writer and Rycart pour over the early pages of the manuscript, they are met with an unsettling void - there is no evidence to support McAra’s claims. Undeterred, the duo continues to dissect Emmett’s relationship with Lang, with Rycart recounting how Lang’s every decision as Prime Minister had served to advance U.S. interests. The writer’s suspicions are piqued, and he confronts Lang about his CIA affiliation, only to be met with derisive laughter.

In the aftermath of Lang’s sudden assassination at the hands of a British anti-war activist, the writer is summoned to accompany him on the return flight, where he is forced to confront the Prime Minister once more. The writer’s accusations are dismissed, and Lang’s lifeless body is left in the wake of his own demise. Despite this tragic turn of events, the writer is tasked with completing the book for posthumous publication - a bestseller that will surely capitalize on the controversy surrounding Lang’s death.

As the book launches in London, Amelia inadvertently reveals to the writer that American authorities have clamped down on access to the manuscript, citing concerns that the early pages contain evidence that threatens national security. She also shares a stunning revelation: Emmett had served as Ruth’s tutor at Harvard during her Fulbright scholarship, leaving the writer to wonder if he has finally uncovered the truth.

The pieces fall into place as the writer realizes that the clues were hidden in plain sight - encoded in the original manuscript at the beginning of each chapter. The message is clear: Lang’s wife, Ruth, was a CIA agent, recruited by Emmett himself. Her influence had shaped every political decision Lang made, all under the direction of the CIA.

The writer discreetly passes a note to Ruth, revealing his discovery. She reads it with tears streaming down her face, and is momentarily paralyzed as the writer raises a glass in toast. As he exits the party, he is rebuffed by taxis and left to cross the street alone. And then, without warning, a car accelerates towards him, and the sound of shattering glass and flying papers fills the air - the writer’s fate hangs precariously in the balance.