The Good Liar is a crime thriller directed and produced by Bill Condon and written by Jeffrey Hatcher, based on the novel of the same name by Nicholas Searle. A career con artist meets a wealthy widow online and discovers that his plan to steal her fortune has unexpected complications. The trailers made me think that someone was going to be taken advantage of in a big way. While The Good Liar was a tad bit predictable it was a good movie with a good twist.
Using a dating service, Betty Mcleish (Helen Mirren) meets Roy Courtnay (Ian McKellen), a long-time con artist who, along with his business partner Vincent (Jim Carter), manipulates people into giving him access to their finances through a string of deceptions and false identities. Ignorant of Roy’s agenda, the two hit it off right away and started dating frequently. Betty has a grandson, Steven (Russell Tovey) who is very protective of her. When he learns Roy is going to move in with Betty, he tries to talk her out of it. Of course, she doesn’t listen. Roy has cooked up a fake leg injury in order to get an invitation to recover at Betty’s house. Their arrangement has Roy and Betty sleeping in separate rooms and without benefits. Betty, a former history teacher at Oxford lost her husband a year ago and has savings in excess of two million pounds.
This being a good place to stop, I must confess there is a whole lot of story left to tell. I’m a huge fan of Helen Mirren, her performance in this movie is brilliant. The good Liar is like a cloak and dagger movie with grifter like maneuvers. Somewhere in the background of the Good Liar, you get the feeling that Helen’s character is a grifter, so during the entire movie, you’re not sure if she is or if she isn’t. Before it’s all over, we finally get the answer we’ve been waiting for. It’s a doozy of an ending, as most situations are not as they appear. I think you’ll love The Good Liar, I certainly did. The film received mixed reviews from critics and has grossed over $25.5 million worldwide. I recommend The Good Liar — Check It Out!
CAROL's WORLDS 