The Invention of Lying (2009) – Review

By Trevor Anderson | Friday, March 5th, 2010 | No Comments
Tags: jennifer garner, jonah hill, louis c.k., matthew robinson, ricky gervais, the invention of lying

2 Stars

Ricky Gervais has made quite a name for himself in the comedy circle, and its well deserved. Unfortunately for so many successes, there must be at least one failure. The Invention of Lying makes the above statement ring even truer. The film centers on the idea that man hasn’t developed the ability to lie. Gervais’s character is the first to discover this great new world. Unfortunately for him the film isn’t well planned – such that people lie through omission several times (which if you could keep your mouth shut, why wouldn’t you?). For all the harsh truth being spoken, you’d think that Gervais would have thicker skin, since it would be the norm for everyone. Yet he responds to every insult with a “why did you have to go and say that?” attitude, as if he’s in on the joke which would technically be impossible. The ending is incredibly convoluted as Gervais’s character has lied his way to the top, essentially by telling everyone there’s a man in the sky (God). The point of religion as lie is made well, but Gervais paints himself into a corner with it and doesn’t seem to know where the story should go after; leaving the audience and his characters in a seemingly never-ending limbo for the last half of the film.

Director: Ricky Gervais, Matthew Robinson
Stars: Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill, Louis C.K.