The Invention of Lying is set in a world where people have never evolved to the point where they have developed the ability to lie to one another, meaning that there are no white lies (“No, your bum doesn’t look big in that”), no harmless porkies (“I have no idea where the last cream cake went”) and definitely no massive corkers (“Of course I love you”), but when one man suddenly learns how to fib, the results are not only life changing for him, but the entire world.
That man is Mark Bellison (Ricky Gervais) a born loser and the least successful screenwriter at his filmmaking firm (which only makes historically accurate lecture films, as not being able to say anything that is untrue means that there is no such thing as fiction) but one day, after being severely knocked down by everyone at his job and almost evicted, he stumbles into telling the world’s first lie when he tells a bank teller that he has more money in his account than he actually does, and is promptly handed a wad of cash and with it, a world of possibility.
Mark then struggles to explain his new found trick to his friends, who not only don’t understand, but believe every lie that Mark tells them, which makes him realize that he can essentially remake the world and have people do whatever he wants; so after conning a woman into bed with him leaves Mark feeling shallow and empty he decides to help the homeless, but eventually gives up and settles for the same desires that most normal people would have; fame and fortune.
But that isn’t quite enough for Mark, and the real story behind the film is his relationship with the brutally honest Anna McDoogles (Jennifer Garner), who tells him that although she has a better time with him than she thought she would, she doesn’t want to be with him because of his look and financial situation. Needless to say this hurts Mark, as he loves her, and thinks that she loves him and is only turning away because she doesn’t want ‘little fat kids with snub noses’ (something she tells him repeatedly) and attempts to teach her that it is what underneath that really counts and can make people happy.
The film provides a good deal of laughs; mainly at the seemingly random outbursts of truth coming from every direction (because apparently not being able to lie means that people also blurt out almost every disgusting and depraved thought that goes through their heads), the many put downs received by Gervais’ character, and the honest yet sarcastic way in which he receives them and tries to make it appear that he isn’t hurt (ala David Brent).
The non-lying humour also comes in the form of advertisements, where the salesman tells the audience to keep buying his soft drink simply because the company needs the customers money, but the most important and perhaps funniest comedy of all comes when Mark inadvertently invents religion by telling a dying woman that she will live on after death and be happy forever. This ‘white lie’ leads those who overheard, and eventually the entire world, to want him to explain the afterlife and how he knows about it, leading to a hilarious, televised, ‘invention’ of God (or ‘The Man In The Sky’ as Mark calls him) and Mark’s own version of the commandments and heaven.
It’s a fairly original and fun concept that’s actually pulled off rather well thanks in no small part to Ricky Gervais’ writing and acting talent; because no other actor comes to mind, that could make having oddly inappropriate comments spouted at them, and pulling a wordless, disgusted, and hurt, face (with a little head tilt), funny, for an hour and a half. Although the plot and jokes to become somewhat tedious and predictable in the middle, sagging a little, before once again picking up and ending on a strong enough note.
Gervais’ acting is as good as always; the emotional scenes let him down to some extent, but he’s on top form for all of the comedy; as he’s essentially just playing an amalgamation of The Office’s David Brent, and Andy Millman from Extras, for the films entire run.
Jennifer Garner is every bit as annoying as she is supposed to be, and then some, but she does deliver exactly what is asked of her; really coming across as a pretty shallow woman who isn’t all that bright and who’s only real worth lies in her looks.
Aside from the two main stars, the film is also littered with brilliant comic supporting acts and cameos that comes from artists such as Rob Lowe (Wayne’s World), Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Boat The Rocked), Jonah Hill (Superbad), Edward Norton (Fight Club), Stephen Merchant (Extras), Jason Bateman (Hancock), and Tina Fey (30 Rock), all of whom add understated yet excellent performances truly enhance their individual scenes.
Overall The Invention of Lying is a curious and largely forgettable comedy that will probably pass most casual movie watchers by; the direction is nothing to shout about (but that was to be expected as it was Gervais’ and co director Matthew Robinson’s feature length directing debut), and while the comedy is interesting and funny it does sag a little in the middle and have a dragged out, television special, feel to it.
Having said that, the social commentary (messages about manners, politeness, and how lying actually benefits society) and religious satire made by the movie should be commended (it’s a pretty brave move to actually invent not only God, but an entire religious doctrine, onscreen), and the scene in which Mark describes his version of God to the world is one of the funniest, dialogue based, movie scenes that’s been seen for some time. There’s also a wealth of top-notch comedians included, and all on top form, acting to their highest ability and being extremely funny, but in the end, The Invention of Lying is a hit and miss comedy that’s suitable for watching while you’re doing the ironing.
Picture:
The 1080p transfer given to The Invention of Lying is much like the movie itself; watchable yet, in the end, underwhelming. The movie, like most romantic comedies, has been given a fairly warm colour palette with natural looking skin tones, but a fairly stable and flat contrast level.
Black levels are acceptably deep and bold, as are the sharp whites, although detail is severely lacking compared with many other hi-def releases. Thankfully there is no banding, artifacing or aliasing evident, although it does have some edge enhancement (leading to occasionally visible halos) and a grain problem with some unrefined textures that scream of digital noise reduction.
However, while the transfer does have several problems, overall clarity is acceptable and the picture is never distracting, it’s just dull, and can’t really contend with the many, better transfers, that are being released nowadays.
Audio:
Like the picture, …Lying’s audio quality is acceptable, yet lacklustre. Also like most romantic comedies it is the dialogue that drives this movie, and thankfully it is well represented by the DTS HD MA 5.1 soundmix, being both crisp and easily intelligible from the films outset to its conclusion.
Directionality, dynamic range, and placement are all fairly good, and what little low frequency sounds there are add presence to some of the dialogue, and enhance the films soundtrack (specifically during montage moments; with one played out to Electric Light Orchestra’s ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ being a highlight of the film).
What lets the film down is its ambience, it can be heard (just about) during the restaurant scenes, church scenes, and outdoor scenes, but it’s so quiet and un-engaging that it will probably go unnoticed by most people who watch the disc.
In the end, it’s the dialogue that counts, and it is represented pretty well, being clear and easy to understand throughout, however this is no demo quality mix, as ambient noise goes way beyond being subtle and suggests that this is a fairly good representation of a fairly poor source.
Extras:
The Invention of Lying comes with a decent set of special features that include a short and amusing film about the first ever lie uttered by an incompetent caveman (titled ‘Prequel: The Dawn of Lying’), several additional scenes which would have added little to the movie itself as they are essentially more of the same ‘honest’ comments that plaster the film, but are an amusing watch on their own, and a collection of outtakes which contain the usual bouts of laughter when actors (especially Gervais) forget their lines.
There is also a making of featurette; which shows a limited amount of behind the scenes footage, and mainly entails watching the cast and crew all praising the movie and Ricky Gervais, but is pretty funny when the people giving interviews begin to make jokes at each other’s expense; a collection of four video podcasts that basically entail watching Ricky Gervais make mildly amusing comments while his co-director films them, and a feature titled ‘Meet Karl Pilkington’ which involves watching Ricky Gervais’ co-host from the Ricky Gervais show journey to Boston and become an extra of the film’s set; a strangely comical piece that is definitely worth a watch, even though it never really explores any of the production aspects of the movie itself.
Grouped together these extras are a perfectly suited inclusion to this disc, as while they don’t really explore the film’s production in too much detail, they are all filmed with the same tongue-in-cheek attitude and with the same humour as the main feature, meaning that they will never become boring and should entertain anyone who liked the film.
The Bottom Line:
The Invention of Lying is a curious little film; it’s a comedy that isn’t really sure if it’s pure comedy or rom-com, and seemingly inadvertently makes some huge comments about society today as a whole, whilst never once becoming preachy.
It’s presented on a disc with picture and audio quality that are nothing to shout about, being just above average but not as high in standard as many other current hi-def releases, and a collection of bonus features that offer little in terms of production information but a great deal in terms of laughter, but nevertheless it is still a very funny film.
The story is interesting and original, but not brilliant, and the jokes do get a bit ‘samey’ after a while, which results in a pretty forgettable comedy that has some truly hilarious moments that are surrounded by a huge number of average ones. It’d be fair to say that this isn’t Ricky Gervais’ best work (maybe the lack of Stephen Merchant’s writing talent is to blame; watch The Office or Extras for classic Gervais and Merchant comedy gold), but it’s far from his worst, and even as most comedies go nowadays The Invention of Lying is pretty solid, there just isn’t enough going on to warrant repeat viewings.
In short it’s funny and pretty original, but not a film to blind buy; definitely give it a rent, and check it out when it eventually lands on broadcast television, but this isn’t one that will appeal to everyone (especially not to viewers who get easily offended by anything remotely religious being shown onscreen), despite the fact that it has some truly brilliant and hilariously honest scenes.
For Gervais comedy with broader appeal watch Extras, but for anyone who likes Extras and Ricky’s stand-up acts (some jokes are on par with, and as likely to offend as, his Animals show) The Invention of Lying is a must.
