The Good Liar: Will Keep You Guessing!

I never read the 2017 book of the same title by Nicholas Searle, so I don’t know how faithful the movie was to the book, but the film tells an interesting story. Unfortunately, (or fortunately, depending on whether you’re a fan of the blog or not) I can hardly say anything about the plot or I will spoil it. The film takes place in London in 2009. Betty McLeish (Helen Mirren) lost her husband about a year prior, and she is trying to move on, so she joins an online website for seniors. She links up with Roy Courtney (Ian McKellen), and they decide to meet at a restaurant for dinner. Roy is a con-man whose specialty is getting older women to fall in love with him and then stealing their money. Betty is his next mark.

Betty is charmed and they start dating. Roy has a bad knee and, when he can barely make it up the stairs to his flat, Betty offers to have him stay in her spare room until his knee is better. Betty’s grandson, Steven (Russell Tovey), is suspicious that Roy may be after his grandmother’s money and is very upset that she has welcomed him into her home without hardly even knowing him. (Betty isn’t rich, but she is upper-middle-class).

I won’t reveal any more about the plot, but the film holds your interest and the acting is first-rate. Neither will get nominated for an AA, but this is because their roles don’t have enough depth rather than that they both weren’t terrific. The film will work fine as a rental, but it’s good enough to see now on the BS if you like the actors. I think most of you will enjoy it (but, then again, I’ve never been a Good Liar!)