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The Good Liar

2019

Bill Condon

Helen Mirren, Ian McKellen, Russell Tovey, Jim Carter ...

5.9

4,148

Mystery. Drama. Comedy London, 2009. Estelle and Brian, two elderly widowers, connect on a dating website. On their first date, both confess that they have not given their real names...

	Media	Author	Review
		Jon Frosch The Hollywood Reporter	"Lots of skill, but no spark (...) [A] proficiently crafted but underwhelming new thriller (...) A 'smart' movie for viewers who don’t want to do any work."
		Owen Gleiberman Variety	"A delectably clever and civilized entertainment that invites us to be as invested in the game as we are in the characters (...) [It is a great pleasure] to watch Mirren and McKellen act together"
		Ben Kenigsberg The New York Times	"The real good liar is whoever convinced Mirren and McKellen to class up such thin and arbitrary material."
		David Ehrlich IndieWire	"Pleasant and preposterous in almost precisely equal measure, the film never offers anything less than two all-time British actors having the time of their lives"
		Elizabeth Weitzman The Wrap	"Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen wasted in disappointing crime drama (...) This tale of con-artistry is torpid when it should be thrilling"
		David Fear Rolling Stone	"The real question is: Are you willing to endure all of that random swerving for the simple pleasure of these performers’ company? (…) Rating: ★★ (out of 5)"
		Jesse Hassenger AV Club	"Instead of deepening his material, Condon has made an unsuccessful fling of a movie: fun for a while, but trying to get as far as it can by leaving crucial material off of its profile."
		Peter Bradshaw The Guardian	"The veteran pair duel hypnotically in a mystery thriller whose occasional silliness is masked by storytelling gusto (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"
		Tim Grierson Screendaily	"[It] starts out as an amusing lark but fails to stay ahead of its audience, piling on the ludicrousness until it’s impossible to take the proceedings seriously. Ian McKellen is delightful company"
		Tim Robey Telegraph	"It’s a plotty film whose plot either makes far-fetched leaps into clichéd historical periods, or shows its working ludicrously (…) Rating: ★★ (out of 5)"
		David Hughes Empire	"[McKellen and Mirren] are exquisitely matched in this slight but enjoyable yarn, which is like watching two magnificent vintage cars in a road race, without minding too much who wins (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"
		Edward Porter The Times	"The film carries on for a good while as a watchable Sunday-evening thriller (...) To engineer its climax, though, it comes up with incongruous, overblown flashbacks (…) Rating: ★★ (out of 5)"
		Mark Harrison Den of Geek	"Entertaining grown-up popcorn fare (...) This is a must-see for the electricity between McKellen and Mirren, two greats at the peak of their powers (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"
		Harry Guerin RTÉ	"Mirren and McKellen bring out the best in each other (...) There are plenty more moments to savour (…) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 5)"
		Tara Brady Irish Times	"Star cast can’t save a film that is a preposterous, uneven mess (...) Everyone involved has made and will make many better films than this one (…) Rating: ★★ (out of 5)"
		Paul Whitington Irish Independent	"Though almost plausible at first, Bill Condon’s film becomes ridiculous late on as it plunges into clumsy flashbacks, and Mr. McKellen overacts outrageously throughout (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"
		Brian Lloyd entertainment.ie	"'The Good Liar' isn't bad enough to be fun, and isn't good enough to warrant your attention. What's left is a missed opportunity and a squandered cast (…) Rating: ★½ (out of 5)"
		Sandra Hall The Age	"It’s a script so ingeniously put together you can just about forgive the minor inconsistencies that punctuate the action (…) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 5)"

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