It didn't matter whether "The Good Liar" was going to be good or bad, but one thing we could always count on was that we were going to have solid performances from stage and screen legends like Dame Helen Mirren and Sir Ian McKellen. And granted, the movie itself stands alone as an engaging suspense thriller, but once they start delving into the incoherent plot twists that fail to make any connection to the main plot point, this is when the film loses its momentum. It is around this pivotal point where director Bob Condon who provided some wonderful character arcs around his story that he begins to feel pressured to follow along the novel this movie was based on by Nicholas Searle and adapted by his screenwriter Jeffrey Hatcher. "The Good Liar" is focally about outsmarting one another to see which one will go out on top. It does a fair job of manipulating us into thinking it will go one way, but in reality it's counteracting their real intentions by going the opposite direction. At first glance, it may seem like a good idea at first, but it lacks in the direction of the original intentions of story making things a bit muddled up in trying to get its message across. Fortunately, thanks to the strong performances by Mirren and McKellen, they can still hold it together even if the film is below their standards.
McKellen stars as Roy, a con artist who feels that modest scams are below his standards and splitting it with his associates. He wants to try his luck conning someone more privileged which will help benefit himself that will set him for life as he's planning retirement. Roy finds his next target/match via online dating, a widowed former history professor named Betty (Mirren). Betty who has inherited the money from her late husband took up online dating as a means to fill in the void and to seek another companion besides her over-protected grandson, Steven (Russell Tovey). Roy plays off the charm scheme with ease trying to win his way into her heart so her can get into her fortune and Betty finds it in her heart to to nurture this elderly gentleman. Things start to backfire on Roy when an old cohort named Vincent (Jim Carter) as he persuades Roy to seek a financial arrangement with Betty by feigning bad knee problems.
Roy's diabolical plans aren't very concealed here as his reign of mischief starts from the opening scenes as he and Vincent try and scam a pair of real estate agents from their investment which involves a tropical getaway. Most of the time Roy has everything under control and makes a ton of money in the process. But he can't make way in keeping it all because it all comes down to his financial security whittled down making him back looking for more people to scam in hopes of making more money. Roy's smooth talking is proven effective as he and Betty eat out at a restaurant and they both exchange interests and speaks small nothings in old-school English ways with each other as he feels that Betty's kindness is like putty in his hands. The con artist's mind games continue on in the greater hour of the move as Condon succeeds in keeping things engaging while also having great moments of high tension as the viewers try to see who will come out of this scheme the victor.
The focus of this movie is the progressive relationship between Betty and Roy as her hospitality make her a perfect target as she caters constantly towards his needs and wants. He goes so far as to have her escort him to his apartment. She also takes him for rides in her luxurious car and finds him a room in her posh suburban abode, exploiting her wealth making him all giggly inside as he hopes what's hers becomes his. While this is happening, her grandson Steven can't understand why his grandmother can be so naive about this scoundrel. He maintains a watchful eye on Roy, but Roy starts to make a pass once Steven is out of town. Through Condon's steady direction and Hatcher's colourful character's we can see McKellen at comfort with the director in his forth collaboration with Condon feels confident and joyous playing the role of Roy and capturing essence of how much of scumbag he really is. Mirren is the perfect pair for McKellen, as a women who's out to find love as we pity her need of grief, but we know too well she can't be that gullible to fall for Roy's charm, but still can't get over it.
All seems fine in "The Good Liar" until Roy and Betty go on a trip to Germany which is where the relationship doesn't just fizzle, it burns. The sudden tainted behaviour and revelations feel too rushed and happened way too suddenly that ruined a great portion of the movie. It's like Condon had to take pages right out Searle's novel to come to a climax as the characters had issues they needed sorted out, but then it all goes downhill from there. Eventually it just loses its suspense and the sliminess of Roy and goes off subject to his con games. It's not a complete abomination, but way too off kilter when rehashing scenes from the novel to end the movie.
McKellen stars as Roy, a con artist who feels that modest scams are below his standards and splitting it with his associates. He wants to try his luck conning someone more privileged which will help benefit himself that will set him for life as he's planning retirement. Roy finds his next target/match via online dating, a widowed former history professor named Betty (Mirren). Betty who has inherited the money from her late husband took up online dating as a means to fill in the void and to seek another companion besides her over-protected grandson, Steven (Russell Tovey). Roy plays off the charm scheme with ease trying to win his way into her heart so her can get into her fortune and Betty finds it in her heart to to nurture this elderly gentleman. Things start to backfire on Roy when an old cohort named Vincent (Jim Carter) as he persuades Roy to seek a financial arrangement with Betty by feigning bad knee problems.
Roy's diabolical plans aren't very concealed here as his reign of mischief starts from the opening scenes as he and Vincent try and scam a pair of real estate agents from their investment which involves a tropical getaway. Most of the time Roy has everything under control and makes a ton of money in the process. But he can't make way in keeping it all because it all comes down to his financial security whittled down making him back looking for more people to scam in hopes of making more money. Roy's smooth talking is proven effective as he and Betty eat out at a restaurant and they both exchange interests and speaks small nothings in old-school English ways with each other as he feels that Betty's kindness is like putty in his hands. The con artist's mind games continue on in the greater hour of the move as Condon succeeds in keeping things engaging while also having great moments of high tension as the viewers try to see who will come out of this scheme the victor.
The focus of this movie is the progressive relationship between Betty and Roy as her hospitality make her a perfect target as she caters constantly towards his needs and wants. He goes so far as to have her escort him to his apartment. She also takes him for rides in her luxurious car and finds him a room in her posh suburban abode, exploiting her wealth making him all giggly inside as he hopes what's hers becomes his. While this is happening, her grandson Steven can't understand why his grandmother can be so naive about this scoundrel. He maintains a watchful eye on Roy, but Roy starts to make a pass once Steven is out of town. Through Condon's steady direction and Hatcher's colourful character's we can see McKellen at comfort with the director in his forth collaboration with Condon feels confident and joyous playing the role of Roy and capturing essence of how much of scumbag he really is. Mirren is the perfect pair for McKellen, as a women who's out to find love as we pity her need of grief, but we know too well she can't be that gullible to fall for Roy's charm, but still can't get over it.
All seems fine in "The Good Liar" until Roy and Betty go on a trip to Germany which is where the relationship doesn't just fizzle, it burns. The sudden tainted behaviour and revelations feel too rushed and happened way too suddenly that ruined a great portion of the movie. It's like Condon had to take pages right out Searle's novel to come to a climax as the characters had issues they needed sorted out, but then it all goes downhill from there. Eventually it just loses its suspense and the sliminess of Roy and goes off subject to his con games. It's not a complete abomination, but way too off kilter when rehashing scenes from the novel to end the movie.