Roy Courtnay is a con-artist who creates business opportunities to fleece people out of money. Using an online dating website he thinks he has it made when meeting Betty McLeish. She opens up everything to him and he has second thoughts about if he can go through with taking everything's she got.
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I am the biggest fan of Ian McKellen so I have been looking forward to seeing this film since first hearing about it, especially considering that Helen Mirren is starring opposite him. A true amazing match as the Sir meets the Dame and boundaries are pushed for them both with two very interesting characters for the pair.
The online meeting of the pair and seeing them set up the profiles and visually the lies begin. Roy claiming he doesn't smoke while sitting smoking and Betty claiming she doesn't drink and sitting with a glass of wine. This opening scene will set the tone for the lies. Never believe everything or sometimes anything. When they actually first meet they both admit to having a fake name on the profile, but they are honest about that right?
It is a charming film that takes plenty of different twists and turns, including a massive double reveal at the end something that I really was not expecting at all. Which certainly made the film go to another level in my opinion, this obviously means that I cannot really go into massive detail or depth with the plot. I doubt anyone could really guess the second reveal as nothing is mentioned in terms of that and comes totally out of the blue.
Roy deceives people with the help of friend and business partner Vinny, trying to make as much money as possible. Obviously not in legal or moral ways. Betty comes across as a lonely widow with only her grandson Steven around still. Roy doesn't make the best impression with Steven who truly believes he is up to something, even more so when Roy finds out that Betty actually has over £2million in her estate.
Ian McKellen is amazing in this role, as the charming con-artist and excels in this different type of role. We certainly haven't seen him swear on screen very often so this was an added bonus to really show that this character was not very nice at the core. Helen Mirren also showing just how powerful she is, no matter on the role she is in and a joy to watch as individuals and then even better when they share the screen and so many scenes.
In the supporting roles Jim Carter was brilliant and I have a new found love for him since binge watching Downton Abbey over a month! Russell Tovey is also very impressive and I felt he held his own with the Dame and Sir! Something which really was very impressive and good to watch.
A drama that has plenty of twists and turns that it could pretty much be a thriller as well? I certainly got a kick out of the performances, interesting characters and the unexpected final reveal.
