Movie Review: The Invention of Lying

THE INVENTION OF LYING (2009)

Directors: Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson
Screenwriters: Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson
Mark...Ricky Gervais
Anna...Jennifer Garner
Brad...Rob Lowe
Greg...Louis C.K.
Frank...Jonah Hill
Anthony...Jeffery Tambor
Martha...Fionnula Flanagan
Shelley...Tina Fey
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 99 minutes

Rating: 2.5 out of 4 stars

The Invention of Lying is a new comedy co-written, co-directed, and starring Ricky Gervais, best known as creator and star of the original British version of The Office and the HBO sitcom Extras. The film takes place in a parallel world in which everyone speaks nothing but the truth with no thought of the consequences. But when a down-on-his-luck loser named Mark (played by Gervais) suddenly develops the ability to lie, he discovers that dishonesty can get him ahead in the world.

The film scores a handful of big laughs early on with jokes in the form of off-color, brutally honest comments by the people in this parallel world. A lot of the humor also lies in the underlying religious mockery found throughout the film. One of the funniest scenes in the movie is when Mark informs the world of the "Man in the Sky" in a hilarious speech that is constantly interrupted with Monty Python-esque satire. After a while, however, these jokes become overdone and gimmicky.

With the exception of co-star Jennifer Garner, who wonderfully plays Mark's love interest, the all-star supporting cast (which includes Rob Lowe, comedian Louis CK, Jeffery Tambor, Jonah Hill, and Tina Fey) is completely underused. There are also a few random appearances from big name actors such as Philip Seymour Hoffman, Edward Norton, and Jason Bateman that seem to have little purpose in the film's plot.

Despite having a unique and original premise, the film falls short of being truly inventive by relying on typical romantic comedy conventions. With a funny high-concept script and a talented lead actor, the film had the potential of a Liar Liar or Groundhog Day-type comedy…but ultimately, The Invention of Lying is just a smart, above-average romantic comedy that doesn't quite follow through on its promise.

Trailer: