The Good Liar (2019)

 ☆ ☆ ☆

The Good Liar (2019) – B. Condon

Given the presence of Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen, I had high hopes that this tale of an elderly con-man swindling (not quite so) defenceless old widows would have some spark to it.  The acting is indeed strong but somehow let down by Bill Condon’s middling direction which fails to fully grasp the darkness in the plot.  Things get very disturbing, yes, but I feel that the horror of the events depicted could have hit home more fully through some different choices; there is less edge here than expected and that may be a calculated choice to appeal to audiences who appreciate more comfortable film fare.  Of course, the plot does telegraph the fact that Mirren’s character is craftier than she appears – that’s part of the suspense, as we wait for her to turn the tables on McKellen.  But the deeper themes that arise from knowing the characters’ history don’t seem to me to be fully explored, leaving the actors, as great as they are, hanging out in a difficult position trying to reveal all this explication on their faces over some rather banal dialogue.  Don’t get me wrong, this is a perfectly passable evening’s entertainment – it’s just that I had hoped for more.