This romantic comedy takes place in an alternate reality in which the concept of lying does not even exist. Everyone speaks the truth and nothing but the truth with no thought of the consequences.
But when a down-on-his-luck schmuck named Mark (The Office's Ricky Gervais, also co-director) suddenly develops the ability to lie, he finds that dishonesty has its rewards and he easily lies his way to fame and fortune. But lies have a way of spreading, and Mark begins to realize that things are getting a little out of control when some of his tallest tales are being taken as gospel. With the entire world now hanging on his every word, there is only one thing Mark has not been able to lie his way into: the heart of the woman he loves (Jennifer Garner).
While it never tops the explosive hilarity of its first 20 minutes, The Invention of Lying is a smartly written, nicely layered comedy that, like last year's underappreciated "Ghost Town," casts Ricky Gervais as a mild-mannered schlub who manages, in spite of himself, to make the world a better place.
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Wittier than your average romcom, with a conceit that’ll have you dreaming up your own comedic reality checks. A treat for fans – but torture for those who have tired of Gervais’ naked ambition.
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While the movie is a conceptual pip filled with quotable laughs and gentle pokes at religious faith at its most literal, it also looks so shoddy that you yearn for the camerawork, lighting and polish of his shows.
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For its first stingingly funny half hour, The Invention of Lying had me thinking that Ricky Gervais had finally found a way to bring his indisputable brilliance at TV comedy (The Office, Extras) to the big screen. Then the air went out of the balloon. What a shame.
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In its amiable, quiet, PG-13 way, The Invention of Lying is a remarkably radical comedy.
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Gervais and Robinson take what might have been a cute concept comedy and elevate it to delicious heights.
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Proof that when you aim for the stars, sometimes you find a black hole. Hopefully just an anomaly for the usually wonderful Gervais.
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