THE GOOD LIAR

Helen Mirren     Ian McKellen     Jim Carter     Russell Tovay     Lily Dodsworth-Evans

    There are lies and damn lies (we’ll leave out “and statistics”, which is part of the popularized quote about three kinds of lies), which this clever film has aplenty.  Best not to sort them out in a review, because lying is one of the most entertaining aspects of The Good Liar.  It’s based on the same entitled thriller novel by Nicholas Searle, with screenplay by Jeffrey Hatcher, and it’s very cleverly written.  Director Bill Condon has exploited its strong points by leading the audience where he wants us to go with good pacing and information doled out in strategic bits.

     Of course, the two main actors (Mirren and McKellen) are a major part of the show, bringing all their impressive experience to bear in portraying characters who are themselves acting, although not apparently so.  They meet on an online dating site with assumed names, but soon reveal themselves to be Betty and Roy, who have lost spouses fairly recently.  

     She is taken by his charms, much to the chagrin of her grandson Steven (Tovay), whom she regards as overly protective.  She makes it clear that even though she is a simple widow, she is in charge of her life. So when Roy makes her feel so special, she is ready to make life plans with him, disregarding her grandson’s warnings.  

     How will this turn out?  It’s clear that she is a wealthy woman who appears a bit naïve, and he has some kind of past that keeps bubbling up, but they seem to have worked out an arrangement.

     But this is only part of the story.  The last 45 minutes of the film delves into material you probably wouldn’t have surmised.  The denouement brings in a history not imagined, although the viewer might be suspecting certain outcomes.  

     At any rate, The Good Liar is a deliciously conceived thriller that entertains throughout.  Music by Carter Burwell heightens the mood of the time and the action on the screen, transporting us into a thriller we can invest in.

An entertaining, intriguing story lit up by charismatic actors in a delightful ruse.

Grade:  B                                    By Donna R. Copeland

ALL IS TRUE

Kenneth Branagh     Judi Dench     Ian McKellen     Kathryn Wilder     Jack Colgrave Hirst

     Not so much rings true (I don’t think) in this fantasy written by Ben Elton and directed by Kenneth Branagh—also its star—but it is interesting.  All is True deals with the period immediately following the fire that destroyed the Globe Theatre, primary venue for William Shakespeare’s plays. Immediately after, Shakespeare retired and never wrote any more.  

     The film shows Shakespeare (played by Branagh) returning home and planting a garden, although, admittedly, he was not very good at it.  In settling back in with his wife and two daughters—one of whom is married—Shakespeare is presented as being glad to be home, devoted to his family, and still grieving the loss of his son Hamnet at age 11.  In this drama, Hamnet’s twin, Judith (Wilder) reveals her own story of how the child died. 

     Most of the drama delves into the hypothesized dynamics of the Shakespeare family, in which William’s wife Anne (Judi Dench in predictably fine form) voices her resentment about his extended absences and other affections he has expressed in his poems.  She is cranky, but mostly forgiving.  His daughter Judith (Wilder) echoes her mother, but her complaints have an additional edge; she is convinced that her father values his dead son over his daughters, particularly her.  The Shakespeares’ daughter Susanna is married to a Puritanical physician, and it’s implied that he takes a self-righteous, accusatory stance on most issues.  The movie shows Judith eventually marrying after she and her father resolve their conflicts, although it is not under the best of circumstances.  All is True suggests that both daughters were involved in local scandals.

     I found the film rather strange in its presumed knowledge of history and its attempts to be currently relevant.  For example, the film clearly conveys its respect for Shakespeare, but it also comes down hard on male privilege and upper class self-entitlements, as well as absent fathers out to make their mark on the world.

     Not being a Shakespearean scholar, I was constantly wondering how much the film is based on historical fact.  Elton and Branagh include any number of hypothetical interactions and events that may veer far from the truth, however plausible they might be.  In this respect, I’m opposed to dramatic liberties taken by filmmakers who seem to go off on their own tangents, simply to entertain/thrill audiences.  On the other hand, if the screenwriter is a real scholar, and makes educated guesses about, say, how it was for Shakespeare to “come home”, I’m a bit more forgiving.

     At any rate, for aficionados of the period and Shakespeare, the film is likely to be entertaining.  For those not particularly interested in historical details and atmosphere, you can skip it.

An unusual look at William Shakespeare and imagining his life in retirement.

Grade:  B-                                    By Donna R. Copeland

MR. HOLMES

Ian McKellen     Laura Linney     Milo Parker

What a wonderful portrayal Mr. Holmes is of a life in its senescence, with all its joys, delights, regrets, and longing.  All this without being depressing in the least.  My hats off to the writers (Jeffrey Hatcher, Mitch Cullin) and director Bill Condon in being able to so creatively build on the Sherlock Holmes stories and visualize what his life might have been when the stories ended.  With the inimitable McKellen in the role of Holmes, talented Linney as his frumpy housekeeper Mrs. Munro, and bright-eyed Parker as Roger, we’re completely sold on this version of Mr. Hatcher’s vision in his novel.

           Holmes has become an apiary while he desperately tries to remember details of his last case, which he does recall as the reason he left the profession.  But he is having trouble remembering the details.  He is becoming senile, and his doctor insists that he get a housekeeper to look after him.  She has a son who looks like he is about 10 or 11, and Holmes is grumpy with him until he finds the boy is bright, interested in Holmes’ stories, and above all a budding detective who ends up helping Holmes with some of his memories, as well as with the bees. 

           This not-quite-happy household may be about to break up because Mrs. Munro is considering taking a job at a hotel in another city where she will earn more.  Moreover, she has concerns about the growing closeness that is developing between the old man and the boy; she knows Holmes is not long for this world and she wants to protect Roger from grief.  A part of it, though, is that she is becoming the third wheel and is having problems sharing control and her son’s affection.

           This is an intelligent film in so many ways.  First of all, it is difficult to go so much in depth into old age, senility, and loss without the story becoming depressing.  But here is a chance to see the “one door closes and another opens” phenomenon.  Secondly, Mr. Holmes and Roger get such delight in their work together and have so much fun it offsets the more heavy considerations.  Thirdly, in addition to the writing, the directing, cinematography (Tobias Schliesser) and music (Carter Burwell) all work together so well it’s a bit like a perfect match.  And finally the story is reminiscent of the other Sherlock Holmes works in that we’re party again to the thrill of the sleuth, trying to solve a puzzle.

If you’re a Sherlock Holmes fan at all, this is a must-see.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland