The Ghost meets a longtime resident who reveals that it’s impossible for ocean currents to deposit a body on a beach, and that he was assaulted on the night before.

The car takes the Ghost to the Belmont home of Professor Paul Emmett, who denies anything more than a cursory acquaintance with Lang, despite several pictures of the pair together.

After Amelia mentions the "beginnings" of the original manuscript the Ghost finally understands that the first word of each chapter is the clue and he discovers the message: "Lang's wife Ruth was recruited as a CIA agent by Professor Paul Emmett of Harvard University."

The Ghost leaves the party and as he attempts to flag down a taxi in the street, a car accelerates in his direction, and a thud is heard.

[11] Production was then postponed by a number of months, with Ewan McGregor and Olivia Williams replacing Cage and Swinton, respectively, as a result.

The majority of exteriors, set on Martha's Vineyard, were shot on the island of Sylt in the North Sea, and on the ferry MS SyltExpress.

[14] Pierce Brosnan plays the character of Adam Lang, who has echoes of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The author of the book on which the film is based has said he was inspired at least in part by anger toward Blair's policies, and called for him to face war crimes trials.

[18] For the US theatrical release, the dialogue was censored and re-dubbed with tamer language in order to meet the Motion Picture Association's qualifications for a PG-13 rating.

[21] The website's critics consensus reads, "While it may lack the revelatory punch of Polanski's finest films, Ghost Writer benefits from stylish direction, a tense screenplay, and a strong central performance from Ewan McGregor.

"[26] Jim Hoberman of The Village Voice placed the film at #3 on his year-end list and wrote that "The Pianist had its moments, but Polanski hasn't made a movie so sustained in the decades since The Tenant or even 1966's Cul de Sac.

[29] The Guardian said "Roman Polanski's deft take on Robert Harris's political thriller is the director's most purely enjoyable film for years.

[31] Keith Uhlich of Time Out New York named The Ghost Writer the second-best film of 2010, describing it as "what an expertly executed thriller is supposed to be.

"[32] The movie has won numerous awards, particularly for Roman Polanski as director, Ewan McGregor in the lead role, and Olivia Williams as Ruth Lang.