DVD & Blu-ray reviews
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Ghost (15)
Last week Russell Crowe sabotaged Robin Hood with his absurd accent, and this week it's Ewan McGregor's turn, inexplicably lending his ghost-writer a cockney twang. It very nearly sinks Polanski's gripping adaptation of Robert Harris's political thriller. McGregor plays the unnamed writer, who's asked to pen former prime minister Adam Lang's memoirs after the previous ghost-writer meets a watery grave. He is whisked off to a remote island retreat where he encounters a smarmy Lang (Tony Blair, perhaps?) and the two women in his life, his PA and mistress Amelia (Kim Cattrall) and his wife Ruth (Olivia Williams, excellent). It's an undemanding paranoid thriller, which could have been directed by anyone, frankly, but it's effectively atmospheric nonetheless. Ben Walsh
The Special Relationship (15)
Alastair Campbell may quibble with the factual details, Tony Blair may claim not to have seen it, but Cherie, at least, ought to be a fan of Peter Morgan and his "Blair Trilogy", of which The Special Relationship is the final part. In this and its predecessors, screenwriter Morgan has given a far more favourable account of Mrs Blair (played by Helen McCrory) than any journalist. Michael Sheen's Blair is as engaging in his self-regard as ever, with Dennis Quaid's Clinton charismatic and unsavoury in equal measure. Performances aside, The Special Relationship isn't half as engrossing as The Queen or The Deal, racing through each episode in the President and Prime Minister's working partnership like Clinton through a packet of potato chips. Tim Walker
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments