The Good Liar

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' 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" 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.

My biggest beef with this movie is that the timeline doesn't work. The main characters are too young for the events that happen in the flashbacks. Some good acting by the lead guy but I didn't like the violent scenes, too graphic for a what could have been a fairly light-hearted thriller. However kept me interested except at the very end which was dragged out about 10 minutes too long.

Moved along nicely with an exceptional cast despite the main twist being predictable from the outset before going to far fetched to counter its main predictability to end. Overall still enjoyed it thanks to the fantastic cast but the writing could have been a lot better.