The Invention of Lying Directed by: Ricky Gervais & Matthew Robinson Cast: Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Louis C.K Running Time: 1 hr 40 mins Rating: PG-13 Release Date: October 2, 2009
PLOT: In a world where everyone tells the truth, a total loser (Gervais) discovers the idea of lying.
WHO'S IT FOR? This is very much Gervais' show, so anyone who enjoyed him in "Extras," "The Office," or even Ghost Town should like him here. But everyone, fan of the man or not, should level their expectations.
EXPECTATIONS: I purposefully sat away from everyone, hoping to unleash loud belly laughs in anonymity. But I was also hoping for a little bit more than just jokes from this interesting concept.
SCORECARD (0-10)
ACTORS: Ricky Gervais as Mark Bellison: The script focuses on two things – elaborating on its original premise beyond the confines of a “romantic comedy,” and putting Gervais’ character at the center of the world created in the process. The co-creator of the original “Office” has once again engineered a lovable loser who's constantly the target of the condescending people around him. The "honest" dialogue of the film allows for Gervais to continue his mastery of his own self-depreciation, as the man who once played David Brent always has superbly funny awkward responses to the constant verbal stompings made about his appearance or his life. But while he has steel-hard resilience when it comes to making fun of himself, Gervais shows striking dramatic vulnerability in a weeping scene that involves him "lying" to his dying mother about heaven. It is surprising work, but shouldn't be too shocking for a man who continues to round himself as an impressive entertainer. Score: 8
Jennifer Garner as Anna McDoogles: As much as Garner's got the chops to play something more than just gorgeous, she's assigned here to simply stand pretty as one of Bellison's objectives. In the laugh-out-loud-funny opening, she plays ball with the movie's sense of humor, but her main duty throughout the film is to look unattainable and act slightly too snobby. Score: 5
Louis C.K as Greg: Every supporting role in this movie seems to function like a cameo, and Louis C.K's is the longest. The comedian is certainly funny as Gervais' loser friend, and brings excellent delivery to gag scenes like one that involves Philip Seymour Hoffman (!!!) and a bar. He has little purpose to the story outside of propping up Mark, but C.K supports nicely with his definite comedic presence. Score: 7
TALKING: In the world of The Invention of Lying, people are always honest. But some people choose to speak their minds while others don’t, and usually such blunt talk is directed at Gervais. This might explain why Gervais appears to be an outsider from the very beginning of the film, as he doesn’t seem to have this forward talking ability, which then might explain how he came up with the idea of telling the first lie (though there is no such word as “lie” or “truth” in the film’s world). The premise appears simple, but isn't entirely foolproof. Once put in action, it becomes quite dizzying, despite being used for some hilarious moments in the first two acts. Score: 5
SIGHTS: The city of Lowell, Massachusetts has been changed into what looks like a movie set that sometimes doubles as a town. It works in some locations, but appears too Hollywood in others. The Invention of Lying also seems to thrive on its list of cameos, which has names like Jeffery Tambor, Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Nate Corddry, Stephen Merchant, Rob Lowe, and even Edward Norton. Score: 6
SOUNDS: The tone of the film seems to lament the idea of lying, so the score is loaded with dinky piano plucking or sappy strings that are far too sentimental. The film’s soundtrack loses its chance to be great, (what a great opportunity to hear "Honesty" by Billy Joel!), despite showing promise with a song performed by Elvis Costello and “Mr. Blue Sky" by Electric Light Orchestra, which seems to be heard in every other modern movie. Score: 6
OVERALL
All of religion is a lie, the world is a more sane place without belief in a "man in the sky," and "white lies" are the golden key to a more peaceful co-existence with everyone else on the planet. The Invention of Lying has quite a creative concept, but it results in dizzying messages that are frankly too expansive for a winking comedy. The film, co-written by Gervais, runs with its laugh-device of honest talk for a hilarious two acts, but takes the premise on a more serious route when it aims to be more of a humanistic comedy than a romantic one (which might explain why he borrows Woody Allen's font for the opening credits). Credit goes to Ricky for thinking outside of the box's box, especially when attempting religious satire, but telling an audience their world is a complete sham is unmistakably a downer. At least, it doesn't seem to translate well for those who aren't Gervais.
His Ghost Town last year had a few laughs, but other than executive producing NBC's version of "The Office," the hilarious English comedian still hasn't shown his full potential stateside. Honestly, Gervais can do better than this.
FINAL SCORE: 6/10