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'The Good Liar' a good opportunity to watch McKellen-Mirren duet
Starring together on screen for the first time, two-time Oscar nominee Ian McKellen and Oscar winner Helen Mirren are a joy to watch.
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W
ith legendary actors like 80-year-old Ian McKellen and 74-year-old Helen Mirren in the lead roles, The Good Liar is one of those movies that you could expect to be failproof -- at least acting-wise.
It opens with the two seniors, Roy Courtnay (McKellen) and Betty McLeish (Mirren), meeting for the first time in a London restaurant after conversing via an online dating platform. That first scene shows how both of them had not been entirely truthful with one another, including not giving their real name.
Such precaution is of course understandable for online daters, since they haven't yet met the person they were matched with. However, Roy and the wealthy and recently widowed Betty instantly click during their first date. As the conversation progresses, both start to enjoy each other's company; real names and life stories are shared -- no more lies as all shields are down. Or are they?
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When they finally bid farewell and the camera focuses on Roy's now-cunning-looking face as he murmurs, "Will you call?", the audience (especially those who have watched the trailer) immediately get the idea of how good a liar he really is.
The scenes after that first one reveal con man Roy's true ruthless skin, and how he slowly manipulates Betty into trusting him with her money. However, a plot twist shows that nothing is what it seems.
Starring together on screen for the first time, two-time Oscar nominee McKellen and Oscar winner Mirren are a joy to watch. Particularly McKellen, whose deceitful character will grow on you.
Other members of the cast, Jim Carter who plays Roy's longtime partner in crime, Vincent; and Russel Tovey who portrays Betty's grandson, Stephen; also offer solid performances in support of the storyline.
Based on a novel written by Nicholas Searle, the director Bill Condon (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 and 2, Beauty and the Beast) described the film in a statement as "a thriller with a Hitchcockian feel, weaving in elements of mystery, crime and a human drama."
“What excites me most is how audiences will be able to piece together this intricate puzzle with all its twists and turns. It’s not just the twists themselves that might surprise you but the motives and the sheer depth of where they come from and why," he added.
In its slow-paced manner, The Good Liar will indeed keep viewers guessing throughout the film about what will happen next, which is quite fun. Not many, but some scenes drew laughter from the audience as well.
The twists themselves are rather predictable, however the motive revelations are unexpectedly surprising.
All in all, The Good Liar is a pleasant watch, especially for fans of the aforementioned veteran actors.
