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Imagine a world where no one lies. Every thought is expressed, regardless of how offensive or questionable it may be. No more calling work and faking sick or telling your bad blind date you had a great time. That’s the world of “The Invention of Lying,” a surprisingly creative gem that plays with the notion of truthfulness.
Mark Bellison (Ricky Gervais) is, quite simply, a loser. He’s an overweight 40-something stuck in a boring, dead-end job with a dwindling bank account and no romance in his life. He may be kind and funny, but in a world where everyone tells the truth, his chances of love or career advancement are slim. But when he goes to the bank one day to empty his meager account, everything changes. He has an epiphany when he realizes he doesn’t always have to tell it like it is — he can lie.
Mark’s life turns around almost instantly as his untruthful escapades land him a new home, truckloads of money and worldwide respect. The attractive and way-out-of-his-league Anna McDoogles (Jennifer Garner) begins to pay more attention to him as his financial status and fame constantly rise.
It looks like life has finally decided to be kind to Mark, and he gladly accepts the product of his fibbing. But as he is forced to construct more lies for the masses, he begins to realize there may be serious consequences.
“Lying” is Gervais’s directorial debut, as well as the first film he has simultaneously written and starred in. It is loaded with talent, including supporting roles by Tina Fey and Jeffrey Tambor, and hilarious cameos that are best left as surprises. Gervais delivers his signature spot-on humor and self-effacing attitude while Garner is brilliant as the snooty, shallow love interest.
For the first 40 minutes or so, “Lying” seems to hit the same note tirelessly, but don’t lose faith. Just as the snarky honesty that was once humorous starts to get old, the film goes off in an unexpected direction that will get people talking. It begs the question, what would the world be like if there was nothing but the truth? The rest should be left for the viewer to decide, but Gervais is making a clever yet daring point here.
In the spirit of truth telling, this should be made clear — this is not a film for everyone. The underlying messages, and at times coarse humor, won’t resonate with all audiences and will outright offend others. However, “Lying” is worth a look.
Gervais’ blatantly British comedic style makes a difficult crossover into the American mainstream, but the concept of the film is undeniably smart. Give this fascinatingly truthful film a chance and it may just change your personal distinction between fact and fiction.
Grade: B+
