REVIEW
book review // 'DEAR JOHN' — NICHOLAS SPARKS
reading. it's not just for textbooks, you know.
John was a troubled, rebellious teen who never fully understood his father's weird habits and never really wanted to.
After just barely graduating high school and skipping college, John joined the army. Joining the army is what he needed to do to grow up and become the man he thought he needed to be, he thinks. While back home on leave, John meets a beautiful vacationer, Savannah. She seems to be all he's ever dreamed of and more. After spending a short while together, John and Savannah realize they have fallen in love with each other. This makes going back overseas even harder. Once John is back overseas, they correspond with one another through snail mail. After September 11th occurs and John's father becomes ill, the couple's relationship takes a turn for the worst. John's love for his country conflicts with his love for Savannah.
Author Nicholas Sparks is known for his love stories, novels and movies. This is one of his better novels that ranks above the rest.
// SAVANNAH ABBOTT
The Ghost Writer is the latest from director Roman Polanski. Polanski is best known for films such as Chinatown and Rosemary's Baby, movies as respected for their scripts and their storytelling as for their thrills. The Ghost Writer doesn't pack as much punch as either of these movies, but it gives it a good college try, and ends up being a pretty solid, fun mystery in the process.
movie review // 'THE GHOST WRITER'
hollywood hits, indie flicks and everything in between.
The movie opens with an unnamed writer (Ewan McGregor) getting an assignment to ghost write a memoir for former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan), who's being investigated for war crimes. McGregor's character is taking the job over from another man who died mysteriously. McGregor flies to New England, where Lang, his wife and staff are living in exile. McGregor starts to work with Lang on the memo, and starts to notice some odd clues left behind by his predecessor, the dead writer. Investigations, double-crosses and other hijinks ensue.
At first glance, The Ghost Writer looks like a fast-paced political thriller with lots of action, a convoluted plot and actors shooting each other plenty of intense, penetrating stares. Since this is, in fact, a political thriller,
there's plenty of that. But there's also a surprising amount of wit and humor. McGregor's character seems to be as puzzled by his situation as the audience is, and his reactions to the things he learns about Lang and his history seem nicely believable. A few times, particularly at the end of the film, the movie goes over the top and events feel a tad melodramatic or cliché. It makes it a little hard to take the movie seriously, but doesn't harm its overall entertainment value.
For audiences familiar with Polanski's work, a movie that falls into the tropes of the generic thriller may feel a little disappointing. But not every movie can be Chinatown, and a movie that manages to retain elements of the director's classic work, and to recall other classic thrillers such as The Manchurian Candidate, or those of the Hitchcock variety, is still worth watching. And for those who are just looking for a good, smart movie to watch on a weekend. The Ghost Writer offers a lot more than others of its ilk.
★ ★ ☆ // ABBY OLCESE
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