When in the midst of an outpouring of brainless studio pictures, scanning the market for fine independent releases is always a smart move. With Roman Polanski’s ‘The Ghost Writer’ still enjoying a limited release and the Safdie brothers’ ‘Daddy Longlegs’ coming soon, there’s plenty of reason to favor independent cinema when making plans for the next few Fridays.

‘The Ghost Writer’
Director: Roman Polanski
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Olivia Williams
Rating: 4/5 popcorns
   
Rightfully regarded as one of the greatest living filmmakers, Roman Polanski is still near the top of his game at 76 years old. His latest picture, ‘The Ghost Writer,’ marks the master’s return to the conspiracy thriller, the sub-genre he helped to redefine.
   
In Polanski’s adaptation of Robert Harris’ novel, Ewan McGregor, (whose character is nameless) plays one of the most sought-after ghostwriters in the publishing world. McGregor’s character is hired to edit and rewrite the memoirs of former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan). The Prime Minister’s legacy is in danger of being tarnished, with multiple criminal allegations brewing in the media.
   
The ghostwriter is wary of Lang’s potential criminality but could not have dreamed of the mess he unearths during his stay at Lang’s home in Martha’s Vineyard, Mass. Encounters with Lang’s wife, Ruth (Olivia Williams), and a Harvard Law School professor named Paul Emmett (Tom Wilkinson) lead the ghostwriter to take on the role of detective as he pieces the sinister puzzle together by himself.
   
Similar to the character of Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson) in another Polanski film, ‘Chinatown,’ the ghostwriter is embroiled in a conspiracy too sweeping for any one man to unravel. Yet, his curiosity displaces reason as he delves further and further into the life-threatening web of lies.
   
The picture is recognizable as the work of a great filmmaker in every respect. Like ‘No Country for Old Men’ and ‘Zodiac,’ it’s a classically constructed thriller that relies on slow-burning intensity to engage its audience.
   
Currently in the process of being sentenced on charges of the rape and sodomy of a 13-year-old girl, Polanski is in danger of not being able to make more films. Hopefully this is not his last.

‘Daddy Longlegs’
Director: Ben and Joshua Safdie
Starring: Ronald Bronstein, Eleonore Hendricks, Sage Sokol, Frey Sokol
Rating: 4.5/5 popcorns
   
One of the biggest hits at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival, the Safdie brothers’ ‘Daddy Longlegs,’ is an uncompromising portrayal of family life that cinema has been without for far too long. Alternately charming and heart-wrenching, the picture achieves a balance of lighthearted whimsy and brutal frankness so perfect that it feels slightly uncomfortable. The film is set to be released later this spring.
   
The immature and grossly irresponsible Lenny (Ronald Bronstein) is arguably unfit for fatherhood. He faces perhaps his greatest challenge as a parent yet when his two young sons, Sage (Sage Sokol) and Frey (Frey Sokol), come to stay for a particularly hectic two-week stretch.
   
Falling apart when his dependents need him most, an overstressed Lenny begins to make utterly deplorable and even dangerous parenting decisions. As the picture winds down, Lenny’s ineptitude is no longer excusable, encouraging audiences to wonder whether he warrants any sympathy at all.
   
Brutally sincere in its depiction of a dysfunctional family dynamic, Ben and Joshua Safdie’s film brilliantly illuminates the dangers of allowing oneself to be overwhelmed by his or her inner child.  
   
Ronald Bronstein, director of the acclaimed, micro-budgeted ‘Frownland’ (2007), is perfect in the flamboyant, occasionally upsetting role of Lenny. Resembling a skinnier, more frazzled George Clooney, Bronstein is a captivating figure who warrants plenty more attention as an actor to complement the praise he’s received as a filmmaker.
   
While not quite as devastating as ‘You Can Count on Me’ (2000), directed by Kenneth Lonergan, or ‘The Squid and the Whale,’ (2005) directed by Noah Baumbach, the Safdies’ film is one of the most authentic portraits of maturation being stunted by familial conflict. If the Safdie brothers continue to develop as filmmakers, they will surely be among the brightest stars of independent cinema for years to come.

smlittma@syr.edu