THE GOOD LIAR
****
Dir: Bill Condon (15, 109 mins)
Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen square up against each other in this adaptation of Nicholas Searle’s novel. McKellen plays Roy Courtnay, a seasoned con artist who sets his sights on Betty McLeish (Helen Mirren). Intending to swindle her out of her money, he finds himself falling for her. Russell Tovey plays her wary son whilst Jim Carter is Courtnay’s old mate. Courtnay has a dark past in the rear-view mirror – he is addicted to the adrenaline rush of deceit, the playing of games but has he now bitten off more than he can chew? Flashbacks explain the murkier details in an engaging thriller that gets the most out of its stars. Mirren and McKellen are clearly enjoying themselves, sparking off each other in this cat-and-mouse tale helmed by God And Monsters director Bill Condon. A starring vehicle for an octogenarian and a septuagenarian is hardly a common occurrence; when they are a pair of acting giants, it’s got to be worth catching.
Opens Nov 8
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