Imagine if there actually was a world where nobody could lie. All the 20 year olds would be enjoying their time at home instead of living the bar scene. There would be a lot more failed relationships because the women would find out that yes, that dress does actually make you look fat. And yes, guys, when your shirt is off 24/7 during the summer, doing so may actually make you look like a tool. Well, in The Invention of Lying, there is a world like that. And having this world as a backdrop to the movie makes for an enjoyable time.
Like I said, the movie is set in an alternate reality where nobody has ever told a lie. Not only do they not lie, but the people living in this reality often tell the entire truth. This is especially tough on Mark Bellison (Ricky Gervais, star of Ghost Town and creater of The Office). Mark is a lecture film writer, a very unsuccessful one at that. His movies basically consist of a narrarator sitting on screen, lecturing about historic events. Not only is Mark not succesful, but he is also very unattractive, as he is told by his date in the beginning of the movie Anna McDoogles (Jennifer Gardner). The day after that date, Mark is fired from his job, because his movie about the Black Plague is sparking no interest. Also, when Mark goes to the bank after being fired, he finds that he is short on his rent. He then, for reasons he can not even figure out, tells the first lie, claiming that he has $800, enough to pay the rent. The bank teller, assuming that she made a mistake, gives Mark the money. Mark becomes fascinated with this new found power, and realizing that nobody else can comprehend lying, decides to use it to his advantage. Things begin to go really well for Mark, but when he makes up a lie to his mother about 'a place you go when you die', things begin to backfire on him. He then has to make a decision on whether to use his ability to lie for himself or for the good of everyone else.
Typical of a Gervais movie, there is nothing flashy about this. However, this movie moves swiftly from scene to scene, never really skipping a beat. It's a completely different story that any that I've ever seen, so I was immediately attached to it. There aren't a lot of laugh out loud moments, but instead a repetition of small chuckles, which, if you're in the mood for it, works out well. I guess I was just in the mood for one of these types of movies.
Rating: 3 out of 4 stars Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oc79ho-PzeE
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