The Invention of Lying (2009)

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Mark Bellison	Ricky Gervais
Anna McDoogles	Jennifer Garner
Brad Kessler	Rob Lowe	½
Greg Kleinschmidt	Louis C.K.
Frank Fawcett	Jonah Hill	½
Nathan Goldfrappe	Christopher Guest
Shelley Bailey	Tina Fey
Anthony James	Jeffrey Tambor
Martha Bellison	Fionnula Flanagan
Doctor	Jason Bateman
Jim the Bartender	Philip Seymour Hoffman
Traffic Cop	Edward Norton

Review

Mark Bellison (Ricky Gervais) is an unsuccessful, lonely screenwriter living in a parallel world which is very similar to ours except for one thing: the concept of lying does not exist. And so people go around naïvely believing everything they hear while constantly hurting each other with blunt comments. Now, in addition to not being able to say anything untruthful, these people are also - for some reason - compelled to say exactly what they're thinking, which makes the world presented here resemble a day-care centre more than it resembles a refined realm of higher ethical standards, but what the heck.

Of course, it's exactly this which makes the comedy tick, and writer/director Gervais is in a frenzy trying to milk his concept in the film's first half. The fresh angle and an array of great jokes makes this part of the film surprisingly effective. And when Gervais' character suddenly, as the first person in the world, discovers that it's possible to say things which aren't true, he embarks on a rampage in order to con his way to some money, his old job back, and - hopefully - the girl of his dreams who has recently rejected him for not living up to her genetic standards.

Gervais the actor keeps his likable persona busy, and as usual he is worth a look, even when the script begins to wobble. Because when the novelty and fun of the film's undoubtedly creative concept begins to wane, The Invention of Lying hasn't got much of a script to fall back on. Gervais, and his partner in crime behind the camera, Matthew Robinson, resort to a remarkably vapid and unromantic romance between Gervais and Jennifer Garner plus a handful of fun cameos from some of Hollywood's finest performers. The latter is fun enough, the former basically kills whatever zest the film had left. And once it becomes clear that the mildly amusing and well-directed satire on religion is overshadowed by the fact that the people in this world are more stupid, shallow and inconsiderate than they are unable to lie, the film's thematic relevance accompanies the comedy out the door.