L'art du mensonge

Ian McKellen is a a con man. He's got an updated version of the Spanish Prisoner that convinces the mark to send hundreds of thousand of pounds into the pockets of his crew and him, and he has a profitable sideline in mildly scatterbrained but cash-rich old ladies, whom he romances and then shows a route to major profits.... for McKellen, that is. Mild-mannered widow Helen Mirren has come right into his sights, and despite Russell Tovey as her overprotective grandson, McKellen sees enough money to pay for a lavish retirement.

I spotted largely where this was going early on -- I have a fondness for good movies about confidence tricksters -- and I expect anyone who knows the conman trope in movies to catch on pretty early. Nonetheless, it's always fun for me to watch two professionals do their work, whether they're gardeners pruning the bushes properly or two skilled and charismatic actors performing in roles written for them; this is McKellen's fourth movie with director Bill Condon, and the second time Jeffrey Hatcher has written the screenplay for the actor/director combination; and who does not wish to write for Miss Mirren? So I had a very good time, and I expect most people will.

Plus it's a very good poster.

"The Good Liar" from 2019 stars Helen Mirren and Ian McKellan. Stop right there. You really can't go wrong with these two. The film also stars Russell Tovey, Jim Carter, and John Lewis Jones.

The story is derivative: a con man (McKellan) romances his mark (Mirren) in the hopes of getting her money, despite interference from her suspicious grandson (Tovey).

There are two twists, one expected, and one unexpected. I like this kind of film, so I'm not going to go into what's believable and what isn't. The performances sold me, and I found the movie very entertaining. Having seen a lot of "out there" Spanish mysteries and suspense films, this one was mild in comparison in terms of a realistic plot.

Not the most exciting film I've ever seen, but certainly a good one.

Actors have to work with the material they're given once they sign on. This was one move where they should have passed on save the money they were paid. It was quite predictable in many ways and the flashback story went off the rails where the movie would have been far better if they didn't spend so much time on it. Quite disappointing overall!

'The Good Liar' manages to achieve something unique in that it is both ludicrous plot-wise and yet completely predictable when it comes to the big twist. Most people will know what's coming from very early on in the film, yet when the inevitable finally arrives it feels ridiculous and implausible and will leave you rolling your eyes.

The other 'twists' that follow as the story unravels are not as predictable, but are just as silly. To say the plot is far-fetched would be an understatement - it's farcical. That said, I can't say I didn't get some enjoyment out of 'The Good Liar' as it did keep me interested right through to the end. Mirren and McKellen are very good in their roles, especially given the material.

Ordinarily I'd have switched off the moment the absurd twist was revealed, but something about 'The Good Liar' kept me interested and watching. It does have some redeeming qualities that partially make up for the preposterous plot, but I certainly wouldn't recommend it.

'The Good Liar (2019)' is, in essence, nonsense, comprised of twists either far too obvious or completely out of the blue. Even though its marketing all but spoils its most major revelation, the flick still plays as a relatively unassuming drama until a final exposition dump aims to re-contextualise its plot, turning the affair into a pseudo thriller. Perhaps this is an effort to provoke a second viewing, but the movie doesn't have an ounce of ambiguity or, indeed, foreshadowing. It makes for a completely blindsiding ending that has little to no consequence because it feels so utterly disconnected from everything we've seen prior. The protagonist is suddenly transformed into something they never were before and we're just expected to accept it, to change allegiances at the last minute. This is a big ask and it makes for an unsatisfying end. Conceptually, it's fine, it's just that its execution doesn't capitalise on its potential. The picture isn't bad, though. It's forgettable and retroactively strained but it's engaging enough. The two leads are as good as you'd expect, playing ever-so-slightly against type and feeling comfortable while doing so. The actual writing is decent, if a little cheesy, and the direction is competent. There are a couple of OAP scuffles that work surprisingly well, too. Generally, it's relatively enjoyable throughout, despite some eye-rolling moments. It does feel a bit 'BBC 2' but it's not a bad effort, even though it's already fading from my memory. 6/10