Tuesday Movie Blog: Give Roman Polanski a Chance

Rent It: The Ghost Writer (PG-13, 2010). Many will shy away from this film because Roman Polanski directed it. But if you get past that, you will find a modern-noir, filled with shadows, murders, and people you’re not sure you should trust. Ewan McGregor plays a writer brought in to complete the memoirs of a prime minister (Pierce Brosnan) who has disastrously fallen from grace. It’s dark. It’s intense. It’s a perfect example, like Rosemary’s Baby, of how Polanski is able to turn the comfortable, “high” society into menacing suspense. It also has a pitch-perfect performance from Pierce Brosnan — I couldn’t help but revel in a corrupt James Bond. My Grade: B

Queue It: The Apartment (Not Rated, 1960). If you’ve never seen this 1960 Academy Award winner for Best Picture, do yourself a favor — rent it now. Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine shine in this dark, adult, and funny masterpiece from the incomparable Billy Wilder. My Grade: A+

To find any Aaron Mettey movie review from 2010, click here.