Preview of Roman Polanski's 'The Ghost Writer'

Unfortunately, these significant pieces of work have almost become footnotes in a life dominated by an act Polanski committed back in 1977.

That sensational story aside (the jury is still out on what really happened and I don't want to get wrapped up in debating it), this is a man that continues to make some of the best work out of all the '70s Hollywood star moviemakers. While Coppola and De Palma have become pale imitations of themselves, Lucas and Spielberg languish away their talent on toy-range movies, Peter Bogdanovich and Michael Cimino reside wherever Hollywood banished them to and others, such as Robert Altman and Hal Ashby, are simply dying out, Polanski continues to work on the same level as he always has. Plus, his grasp on filmmaking doesn't appear to have waned. Scorsese and Malick aside, this (imported) Movie Brat may be the only one continuing to match the work he produced during that '70s Golden period.

And April 16th sees his return with The Ghost Writer. Based on Robert Harris' novel 'The Ghost', the film follows Ewan McGregor's man with no name (he is credited simply as 'The Ghost') as he travels alongside former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (played by Pierce Brosnan, and heavily based on Tony Blair) as his ghost-writer. The discovery of some of Lang's secrets, though, put The Ghost increasingly in danger.

Judging by those who have seen it Stateside, The Ghost Writer is an old-fashioned, Hitchcockian thriller, the kind of which we just don't see anymore. It's a shame that traditional thrillers, the likes of North By Northwest, have been replaced by MTV movies that look they were edited by someone on drugs and directed by ridiculously-named people like DJ Caruso (Eagle Eye) or McG (Terminator Salvation).

Thankfully, The Ghost Writer promises to be a return to the style of the classic thriller. What that means is, instead of squeaky clean dullard Shia LaBeouf running about like a maniac, yelling exposition at a series of hyperactive cameramen, we get a more mysterious, interesting anti-hero in the form of Ewan McGregor unveiling the plot in a low key and - this is the most important part - slow burn way. God bless Polanski and the rest of the old guard for sticking to their ways.

And God bless Polanski's ability to draw an exciting cast. I'm not usually a fan of McGregor, but he looks well above his usual standard here, plus there are some excellent supporting players - Olivia Williams, Tom Wilkinson and even Sergio Leone's 'the ugly', Eli Wallach, shows up at the age of 94.

Best of all, though, is the inclusion of Pierce Brosnan as Lang . If you've seen some of Brosnan's post-Bond performances - The Matador springs to mind, Mama Mia! doesn't - you'll be aware of how underrated an actor he actually is. See Seraphim Falls and Brosnan's raw, wounded portrayal of a man exhausted and plagued by guilt for evidence of how impressive he can be (or just see the film regardless - it's a gem). And, according to reviews from across the pond (where The Ghost Writer has already been released), and judging by the looks of clips from the film, the movie features some of Brosnan's best work.

The same can also be said of Polanski - word is that this is one of his finest films for some time. As the current situation dictates, this could be Polanski's final movie, unless you're allowed to direct movies from prison. Presumably you aren't. Keep that in mind - and the fact that The Ghost Writer has been getting some of the best reviews of Polanski's career.