The Invention of Lying (2009)
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.
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The Worst Film Ever
Beautiful, moving film.
The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.
It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,
WARNING: If you are an hopelessly religious person you will not enjoy this film. However, if you are a hopelessly religious person then you probably won't be bright enough to understand the satire and TRUTH of it. If you've a decent I.Q. but have tinkered with religion then be prepares to be un-brainwashed.
When did Ricky Gervais stop being funny. Somewhere around the end of 'The Office'? Or was he never really funny to start with? This film certainly proves that he's not the funny, and manages to spread out a very simple one joke idea into a feature length film.If anything it's the supporting cast who come out of this the best. Jennifer Garner, Tina Fey, Rob Lowe - they all manage to get laughs out of a weak script, and play their characters with grace and skill.There's not a lot to recommend this film other than that really, only to say that's it not quite as bad as 'Ghost Town' or Gervais's turn in the 'Muppets Most Wanted'.
...and this movie falls on clever. "The Invention of Lying" presents itself as a breezy, silly, absurd allegory about a world where dishonesty doesn't exist. That is until, you guessed it: "the invention of lying".Like a good Franz Kafka story, this film hits us with an utterly ridiculous premise, but as it unfolds it teaches us some valuable lessons about human nature. Ultimately it makes us think more about ourselves than any real life drama ever could. And it's hilarious to boot.What would you do if you lived in a world where the concept of dishonesty was unfathomable, and anything you said would be believed without question? The stage is ripe for some hilarious gags, and this movie hits basically all of them. But it never becomes boring because new, ponderous avenues keep opening up for our hero "Mark" (Ricky Gervais) who plays the role as a lovable, kind-hearted loser who stumbles on this super power. At first he acts as you would guess, but when he finally comes to grips with his awesome/catastrophic power, it leads to some deep soul-searching. In that respect it reminded me of the excellent "Groundhog Day" where Bill Murray is stuck repeating the same day over & over, knowing events and peoples' reactions before they happen. Groundhog Day itself was a very profound philosophical allegory disguised as a silly comedy, and that's exactly what we get here.The acting was very personable, allowing you to really get inside the heads of all the characters. That plus the funny chain of events guarantees an entertaining ride from start to finish. It stays comical and witty throughout, but I have to mention there is at least 1 very powerful scene that may have you stunned in silence.If you enjoy poignant what-if comedies like "Groundhog Day", "The Truman Show", or on the more serious side "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", "Run Lola Run" and the classic "It's a Wonderful Life", then you'll really enjoy this fresh spin. Just tell the usher you lost your ticket and maybe he'll believe you and let you in for free. Eh, wishful thinking.
This was a solid movie. Ricky Gervais, who i really like from The Office and Idiot Abroad is the lead character, a man who lives in a world where lying is impossible to do...until he starts doing it. A few lies later and he has lots of money and fame. However, much of the fame is due to him being able to talk to "the man in the clouds". Jennifer Garner who, normally i enjoy was a little off in this film, the fit just didn't seem right. There were plenty of guest stars in this film that were a pleasant surprise. This film made me think a lot about how we live our lives. In terms of the rules that are established and how we view the world. There were a few bits where i was amused but it's really not a laugh out loud movie.7/10 I enjoyed the film overall but the main characters were all just okay, no one really stood out. Lots to ponder in this film and the plot gets a little silly at times.