The Good Liar

"The book’s plot, which involves more than just octogenarian grifting, might have led readers on an exciting merry dance. Sadly, The Good Liar suffers a similar fate to the McKellen-starring The Da Vinci Code, which was enormously promising as a page-turner but foundered as a film."

"Con movies should at least be fun. The Good Liar has a sheen of quality about it and a couple of truly great leads. But the script is a mutt, unworthy of the attention and talent poured into it."

"It’s an enthralling exercise but a peculiarly cerebral one – a psychological thriller without the thrills."

"Yes, you would watch Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren in virtually anything. You just wish it wasn't this."

"To avoid ruining the film, you should not only stop reading this review, but also pass on seeing the movie, which tips its hand practically from the moment the main characters meet."

"The big reveal of this con-man potboiler may be weapons-grade tosh, but you shouldn't let it detract too much from the enjoyable ride to that point."

"McKellen and Mirren, sharing the screen for the first time, 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."

"Square, tame and tidy as the London-area house kept by Mirren's primly elegant, creamy-complexioned septuagenarian, The Good Liar is a work of skill but little spark."

"The pleasure of "The Good Liar," and it's a major one, is the chance to watch Mirren and McKellen act together in a cat-and-mouse duet that turns into an elegant waltz of affection and deception."

"This movie rattles along with terrific energy and dash and the flashback sequences show that it's actually far more daring and ambitious that you might expect. It's a great duel between McKellen and Mirren."