The Good Liar | Film Review

 

Hey Guys x

This one kind of snuck up on me. I had heard about it in passing, without much interest. But when it came out on the Sky Premiere channel, I was immediately taken in by the premise and decided to give it a chance.

Roy Courtnay (Ian McKellen) is a con artist. His latest conquest? Betty McLeish (Helen Mirren), a wealthy widow who invites Roy into her life, and home. But when Roy begins to develop real feelings for Betty, what should have been a straightforward scam becomes a dangerous game that will change both of their lives forever.

I wish I could describe this with spoilers, because that's the only way to get across how good this film is!

Even without spoilers, the initial premise is an interesting one. It's not the most original story ever, but what makes it more original is the fact that the film has an older cast. This doesn't happen very often, and really does change the dynamics of the film.

While you can see how naïve Betty is, the film also does a good job of allowing the audience to see why she would fall for him. This is because the character of Roy is written really well. Even though we know what he is and what he's doing, you begin to warm to his character. And this probably happens around the same time that Betty's naivety becomes too much. You just want to jump into the screen and shake her.

And then the third act comes along and hits you like a punch in the gut! For me, this was the thing that completely elevates the film, taking it away from a premise that could easily fall into being generic.   

The direction, writing and acting in the film were all great. Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren were the perfect actors to take on these roles. In addition, I also really loved the character of Stephen (Russell Tovey), who tends to act as a mouthpiece for the audience.

Overall, this film is one of the rare occasions where the end of a film makes the entirety of the film so much better. It starts slow, builds, and then ends on a high note. I'd definitely recommend it!

7.5/10

Lou