"The Invention of Lying"
Directed by: Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson
Starring: Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill, Jeffrey Tambor, Fionnula Flanagan, Rob Lowe, Tina Fey
Rated: PG-13
Imagine a world where the words "truth" and "lies" don't exist. Not even the concepts exist.
That's the universe that is presented in British comedian's Ricky Gervais' new film, "The Invention of Lying." Not only are the people of this universe incapable of saying anything untrue, they also seem unable to self-censor.
This fact is somewhat of a problem for a screenplay - written and directed by Gervais and Matthew Robinson - that is a wonderful premise but doesn't quite live up to its promise.
Gervais is best known for creating, producing, writing, directing and starring in the British television comedy, "The Office." That series was translated to American TV, starring Steve Carell, and Gervais stayed on behind the scenes as an executive producer to helm what has become a huge hit.
Gervais is hardly a typical leading-man type, and that fact is used to full advantage in "The Invention of Lying." The people in this milieu - especially Gervais' character's love interest - have no qualms about telling him about his genetic inferiority, squat stature or pug nose.
Gervais plays Mark Bellison, who has the unenviable job of being a screenwriter in his universe. Since there are no "lies" told here, fiction is unheard of. Mark and his fellow writers simply do "historical" screenplays. Mark is assigned to the 13th century, which is a rather agonizing and drab one. It's a challenge to say the least, and Mark is about to lose his job. There's only so much one can truthfully write about the plague.
One bright spot (or a potential one) is the fact that Mark has a date with a beautiful woman, Anna McDoogles (Garner). She greets him at the door with a funny and very personal revelation, but on their date both she and everyone who sees them together tells him that she is way out of his league. It's true - he knows it, we know it, everyone knows it and (in this world) has to say it.
The ultimate turn in the plot comes when Mark is dealing with his dying mother, played by the always-engaging Fionnula Flanagan. She is about to reach the end and is afraid of facing the great oblivion that death presents.
Mark manages to tell her something that is a total fabrication on his part: He tells her about an afterlife that is happy and peaceful and overseen by a benevolent "man in the sky." Other people overhear Mark telling this story and since there is no concept of untruth, take the story as ... well, gospel.
So a religion is born from Mark's attempt to comfort his mother. This plot point is not scathing in its outlook but does present a point of view that will make some people of faith uncomfortable.
After that experience, Mark finds he is capable of telling other things which he isn't 100 percent sure of being true. In one scene, he tells a woman if they don't have sex immediately, the world will end. She, of course, believes him because there is no concept of untruth in this world. She is merely worried if they have enough time to get to a motel.
Like everything in this setting, the inn is truthful. The sign out front says
"A Cheap Motel for Intercourse With a New Stranger." A sign at Mark's mother's residence reads, "A Sad Place Where Homeless Old People Come to Die."
And advertising? That's a tricky situation without lies. Coca-Cola ads say, "It's Very Famous," while Pepsi ads proclaim: "For when they don't have Coke."
To be truthful (which seems appropriate), the setup is better than the realization. But Gervais is a funny and engaging actor who knows his strengths. He plays them for all they are worth here, and while not a perfect film, "The Invention of Lying" is funny and thought-provoking.
Jim Wunderle owns Wunderle Sound Services and is a Springfield freelance writer and musician. He can be reached at info@wunderlesound.com.
