The Invention of Lying

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The Invention of Lying

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The Invention of Lying

Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill, Louis C.K., Jeffrey Tambor, Fionnula Flanagan, Rob Lowe, Tina Fey

Set in a world where the concept of lying doesn't exist, a loser changes his lot when he invents lying and uses it to get ahead.

Id: 11039319

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The Invention of Lying Recent Reviews
  • gatorgirl13
    November 21, 2009
    gatorgirl13
    I was kind of disappointed with this film. I love Ricky Gervais and his performance was hilarious, as usual, but the rest of the cast didn't really deliver. Jennifer Garner just annoyed me in this movie. The plot was really creative, though.
  • her69eyes
    October 31, 2009
    her69eyes
    Like "Idiocracy", "The Invention of Lying" has a wonderful premise but nothing to do with it. What if nobody ever told a single lie. People would be brutally honest, for one thing, but co-screenwriters Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson also illustrate that it is a world without ...( read more)God. It's unsurprising that the trailers have failed to mention the many ways that this film pokes fun at all organized religions - but, as funny and inspired as those gags may be, the romantic drama at the core of the film bogs the movie down tremendously.

    Mark Bellison (Ricky Gervais) narrates a world in which there has never been a single lie. Not only that, people seem to have no filter - people bring up masturbation and attempted suicide alongside shopping lists. Our hero falls in love with a woman, Anna (Jennifer Garner), who considers him a poor genetic match. The problem with making a romantic comedy out of this premise is that Anna couldn't be any less appealing - we don't like her, and we can't fathom why he would.

    The inability to lie also causes problems in the media. Advertisements are replaced by honest spokesmen reciting taglines like "Coke: It's very famous" and "Pepsi: For when they don't have Coke". The film industry, where Mark makes his living as a screenwriter, makes completely factual blockbusters - meaning, well, Christopher Guest sits in front of a camera and reads about the 17th century. Mark, unfortunately, is unsuccessful at work because he's been assigned the 13th century, which, as it turns out, was really kind of drab.

    When Mark discovers the ability to lie, he, of course, is able to swindle himself all of the money and sex he wants. What he also does, however, is tell his mother about the afterlife while on her deathbed. The doctors, incredibly naive, must believe him, and soon enough Mark spins a story about "the man in the sky" and post-mortem mansions. A press conference in which Mark must explain the intricacies of our creator is the highpoint of the film. When Mark scribes his version of the ten commandments on a sheet of paper, he complains "I wish I had... tablets... or something."

    The comedy is risky material for a mainstream Hollywood film, but unfortunately it's bogged down by formula in every other way. Turning this material into a romantic comedy was an enormous miscalculation - Anna is as unlikable as any romantic lead you'll ever see. Moreso, her cruelty only begs the question: why, in a world of honesty, do people have to blurt out everything that crosses their mind? That has nothing to do with honesty - it has everything to do with manners and self-control.

    I'm a big fan of Ricky Gervais, and it's been disappointing to see his lackluster translation to mainstream American films. His audience deserves much more, and so does he - a comedian with a mind like his should not be reduced to treading through tired formula pictures.
  • flickfever
    October 30, 2009
    flickfever
    How do you go about getting your way--or making your way--in a world where fiction or lying (even white lies) are non-existent? In The Invention of Lying, that question seems to be the prevailing theme. Of course, things in our world are made so much more simple by the act of tel...( read more)ling "harmless" fibs and bending the truth in order to benefit from said acts.

    It would be a lie to say that this film is without its fair share of imperfections. Of course, the plot plays out more like a gimmick to keep you engaged than it does an inspired concept. But, with Ricky Gervais (who created the story) that's usually what you get. And that's not a bad thing. Usually, his films (like last year's Ghost Town) and his television work ("The Office," "Extras") is built on a whimsical foundation in order to layer on the subtext and the sardonic, acerbic wit and the biting social commentary.

    With "Lying," he goes out of his way to make a joke out of our preconceptions about one another. The fact that humans can be so frivolous and superficial is an instant delight to watch being parodied on screen.

    But then, as the film progresses and the first lie in invented, we see that what's at the heart of the matter is how hypocritical humans are and how we're so blinded by certain truths and so eager to be self-righteous about other supposed truths--or lies--depending on which side of the fence you happen to be on.

    Eventually, what you get is a delightful movie that entertains and tugs at your socially-conscious sleeve. If you happen to be against any sort of blasphemous or slanted view on what life means, this movie is definitely not for you. If you have a semblance of a sense of humor then, by all means, enjoy the film for what it's worth. It's not cinema worthy of elevating the human spirit to heights never before explored. It's simply a sarcastic comedy about the way we choose to perceive one another and the way we choose to live our lives.

    P.S. If you're expecting to see the great cast of actors (Rob Lowe, Jennifer Garner, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill) employed to a great capacity, you will be disappointed. With the exception of Garner, who plays a snobbish, albeit honest woman, the cast appears more as a courtesy or favor to Gervais. His projects usually garner the right kind of critical acclaim and, more than doing Gervais a favor, the actors seem to be in the movie in order to their own careers a favor--by starring in a film with a perceived prestige factor such as this one.
  • phubbs1
    October 30, 2009
    phubbs1
    The Invention of Lying

    This started of as quite a good amusing film, Gervais (you like him or loath him) is good in his little role of a lonely sad man trying to make it in a world of truth, the jokes are along the lines of 'The Office' to a degree...the embarrassment factor whe...( read more)n the truth boils down to it type of thing hehe but it is predictable with the amusing lines being 'old' or 'been there done that'.

    Thats the first problem really, the plot is a kind of Jim Carrey movie mixture haha take elements from Bruce Almighty with Liar Lair and you have this, but not as good, a kind of poor man's equivalent. We've seen it all before and you know the outcome of the plot and most setups long before they happen but there are still some funny moments :)

    The other problem is the plot gets way too silly as the film moves on, as Gervais character becomes more god like it just gets daft, you start wondering how the film is gonna dig itself out of this huge hole its merrily digging itself into, much like Gervais character in the film, so I guess it keeps you watching for that really, morbid curiosity more than anything haha

    Not bad but hardly great.
  • moonrivers
    October 15, 2009
    moonrivers
    another star produced flick, this one (unlike "couples retreat") has in it somewhere the conceit of trying to make a real film. unfortunately, well, even the best laid plans, eh? still, look for fionnula flanagan's bit part as the mom...better that most of the piece. and gerva...( read more)is...he's convinced me that he not here for merely a lark, but ya gotta find decent writers (i know, i know, like saying discover a cure for cancer, but still)...
  • CherrySoda99
    December 7, 2009
    CherrySoda99
    I was expecting it to be funnier than it was - considering it was done by Ricky Gervais. It started out as a comedy, and somehow turned into a religious drama...
  • jjpanko
    December 7, 2009
    jjpanko
    Invention of Lying was a refreshing romatic comedy.
  • thetan207fb
    December 6, 2009
    thetan207fb
    Good show. Very original and very funny. I laughed, I cried. I plan to see it again on DVD so I can pause and rewind. Sadly, comedies don't win awards because this one would be worthy. I recommend it unless you are very sensitive about your concept of God and are offended by...( read more) humor that pokes fun at the absurdity of some common ideas about God and religion.
  • TheTaskmaster
    December 6, 2009
    TheTaskmaster
    Pretty middle-of-the-road. I did laugh tons of times but it was also fairly slow all the way thru strangely. Don't be afraid to check it out, it's interesting. But..
  • smnthsalmon
    December 6, 2009
    smnthsalmon
    This movie seems so interesting!!! i wanna c it!
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