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Amazon.co.uk Review
It's official: Ricky Gervais is a genius. He may not have cured cancer or discovered a new branch of mathematics, but having created The Office, Extras, and now The Invention of Lying has secured him a place in the history of comedy. The Invention of Lying imagines a world in which everyone unfailingly tells the truth; they don't even know what fiction is. Every thought, however humiliating or harsh, tumbles out unvarnished. Then one day, a desperate unemployed writer named Mark (Gervais) concocts a lie--and in a world where everyone is unfailingly honest, a lie is believed with total and absolute gullibility. Mark can get anything he wants...but the one thing he truly wants is the love of a girl named Anna (Jennifer Garner, Alias, Juno), and she's the one person he can't bring himself to lie to.
The Invention of Lying balances a brilliant overall idea with inspired comic bits and deft cameo turns by a star-studded cast (among the many famous faces in bit roles are Philip Seymour Hoffman, Edward Norton, Jason Bateman, Christopher Guest, Tina Fey, Jeffrey Tambor, and more). The second half of the movie, which follows Mark's romantic pursuit of Anna, isn't quite as marvelous as the gradual unfolding of the situation and Mark's grappling with his strange new ability, but that doesn't keep the movie from being a unique and dazzling comedy. Simply not to be missed. Also featuring comedian Louis C.K., Rob Lowe, and Jonah Hill. --Bret Fetzer
Synopsis
Ricky Gervais directs himself in The Invention of Lying, a comedy in which everyone in the world tells the truth except for one misfit in the film industry, who after discovering the act of lying, milks it to become the world's most phenomenal performer. When Gervais’s character realises he doesn't have to always tell the truth, things begin to change with inevitably hilarious results. Matthew Robinson co-directs from his own script that he and Gervais collaborated on. It's no surprise that the British comedian would be able to assemble a superb ensemble of funnymen (and funnywomen) for his directorial debut, but The Office star truly impresses with this list: Jennifer Garner, Rob Lowe, Jonah Hill, and Louis C.K. co-star in the Media Rights Capital production, with John Hodgman, Tina Fey, Christopher Guest, and Jeffrey Tambor rounding out the rest of the cast.
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Anything above 1 Star would be a LIE,
By
This review is from: The Invention of Lying [Blu-ray][Region Free] (Blu-ray)
I have to say that this is probably the worst film I have ever seen. I bought it because Ricky Gervais is one of my favourite comedians and I enjoyed The Office, Extras, all of his podcasts and XFM shows with Merchant and Pilkington as well as his first 2 stand-up performances. I don't know what happened but Ricky seems to have rapidly declined over the past 2-3 years and this is his lowest point yet I feel.
I actually thought the idea behind the film sounded quite funny. In a world where nobody lies there must be some awkward but hilarious scenarios and Gervais built his reputation on that kind of comedy. Sadly you soon find that not only can nobody lie, but they seem compelled to speak their minds at all times. In the film Liar Liar, Jim Carey's character cannot lie but he tries to avoid answering questions when he knows the honest answer will have negative results. In this film the characters are like robots, void of any understanding of how their answers may affect people's feelings etc. People simply tell each other that they don't like one another whether they are asked their opinion or not. The first half of the film revolves around Ricky trying to win over a woman who is out of his league (played by Jennifer Garner who, like all of the other characters, is robotic and boring). Eventually Ricky tells the first lie and consequently he basically has the power to do as he pleases in the world since all of the other people believe his lies (eg: he tells a woman that unless she has sex with him the world will end, so she immedietly agrees to go to a motel with him). After visiting his mother on her deathbed (the only good scene in the film) the plot quickly changes to an attack on religion. I, like Ricky, am an atheist but the attack on religion is quite weak. If you want to laugh at religion watch the masterpiece that is The Life of Brian. In short; the plot is weak, the acting is atrocious and you can't connect to any of the characters at all. I bought it a few months ago, watched it once and haven't touched it since.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
It's a hoot,
By Mike The Magician "Mike" (Wiltshire, England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Invention of Lying [DVD] (DVD)
No hidden agendas here - this film is, quite simply, very funny.
It does wear its atheist heart on its sleeve, and it seems some people have a problem with this - who would have thought? Unfortunately, genuine criticism becomes conflated with religious outrage, resulting in reviews that are little more than rants. I've even read one review here which exhorts those who have given positive reviews to retract them. That, if nothing else, should move you to watch this film.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Two & a Half Stars,
This review is from: The Invention of Lying [DVD] (DVD)
While at times this film is genuinely funny, the overall plot is far too contrived and sentimental. Ricky is not convincing in the romantic sub-plot, which, while clearly essential to the story, still somehow manages to feel unnecessary. The religious angle doesn't bother me personally but may make some feel uncomfortable or even offended. Not Mr Gervais' most successful appearance to date.
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