There are multiple levels on which to enjoy Roman Polanski’s Based on a True Story (D’Apres une histoire vraie), none of them very deep or complicated. But together they raise the resonance of a masterfully made psychological thriller in the traditional mode. This story of rivalry invites comparison with the director’s award-winning 2010 thriller The Ghost Writer, not least because one of the two main characters is a ghostwriter of celeb autobiographies. A teasing, tongue-in-cheek tale of literary cannibalism, it's a film with in-jokes that will play best with audiences who watch France Culture programs and recognize references. But there’s nothing so obscure it would prevent average French film fans from enjoying a few chills from the consummate 83-year-old director who gave us Chinatown and Rosemary’s Baby. "
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