★★★
Career con artist Roy Courtnay can hardly believe his luck when he meets well-to-do widow Betty McLeish online. As Betty opens her home and life to him, Roy is surprised to find himself caring about her, turning what should be a cut-and-dry swindle into the most treacherous tightrope walk of his life.
Classification: 15
Deceptive yet classy, Bill Condon's cat and mouse thriller between the exemplary talents of Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen is a delight of surprising twists, terrific acting and gripping tension. Basically, an excuse for the two actors to go toe to toe in various scenes of layered dialogue as McKellen's seasoned con man Roy puts forward a plan to rob Mirren's widowed Betty out of her fortune. It may seem obvious which directions The Good Liar is intending to explore but Jeffrey Hatcher's screenplay takes the unexpected roads and builds narrative payoffs that are actually surprising.
From the title, it is evident that Condon wants the audience guessing who is truly is The Good Liar, with McKellen's character revealed to be an untrustworthy trickster from the outset complete with running scams with his partner in crime Jim Carter. However, with McKellen's scene partner being Helen Mirren, the audience expects that there is more subterfuge at play to this story beyond an initial inheritance scam. There is and Condon unfolds his story revealing details to both Roy and Betty's stories that all come back into play in an unexpected but shocking finale. However, even with these conclusions, The Good Liar still lacks the true sense of suspense because it is unavoidable to suspect Mirren's character not to have a plan of her own.
Even without knowing the truth behind the character's histories it is apparent that the main goal of The Good Liar is to have Mirren and McKellen face off against one another on a battlefield of fabrication and deceit. Condon plays into the actor's reputations and uses it against the audience, McKellen's beloved charm seducing audiences to sympathise with his dastardly hustler and then making you recoil when his true nature is revealed. Same with Mirren's performance, effortlessly applying her natural grace and charisma into her character lulling you into a false sense of security. The dual performances are as much a con as the story of the film, misleading the audience's loyalties and empathies as both Mirren and McKellen take delight in the dialogue of the script. There's no scenery-chewing from either of them as Condon keeps both characters grounded but they both ingrain their characters with unique quirks and traits that make them feel all the more real.
The historical elements incorporated into the flashbacks and reveals are one of those surprises that may feel dropped in to pad out the runtime however Condon plants these seeds throughout the film. The notion and theme of how history can be interpreted, the idea of truth being perverted. Roy's character is built from subverting the truth and Condon builds his tension and finale in having the characters and audience face the indisputable facts of their histories. It's more of a shock at how Condon places the emotional payoffs into this specific storyline and exposes his characters in ways that make your enjoyment of the Mirren McKellen pair feel like a betrayal. It's not a deception on Condon's part, to deliver a twist that tricks the audience but instead to enlighten them, to reveal the importance of fact. It does divulge into pulpy thriller tropes at times especially with a few choice narrative decisions but it still remains chilling in how it doesn't shy away from the uncomfortable material.
It's all about Mirren and McKellen and The Good Liar doesn't waste them for a second as Condon uses the scenery of London to capture that sense of traditional glamour as they learn more about one another. The film is a reminder for the old character-driven thriller in the vein of Hitchcock but while not reaching those heights, the intimacy between Mirren and McKellen make for captivating viewing. Fine direction, stellar performances and a reveal that doesn't disappoint, The Good Liar may be trying to deceive its audience throughout its entire runtime but when it comes to the entertainment value it's completely authentic.
Director: #BillCondon
Cast: #HelenMirren, #IanMcKellen, #RussellTovey, #JimCarter
Release Date: November 8th 2019
Trailer:
Written review copyright ©CoreyBullochReviews
Images and Synopsis from the Internet Movie Database
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