Review: Invention of Lying

By Keelin



Here was a movie I really wanted to like. In fact, I have been flirting with the co-director and co-writer on Twitter (the not-Ricky Gervais one), so I really, really wanted to like it so that I could offer some heart-felt compliment, prompting this guy to marry me and thus affording me the opportunity to finally meet Ricky Gervais and Karl Pilkington!!!


Anyway, this did not happen. (I'm still going to compliment the guy -- but it's just going to be total nonsense.) Here's the problem: the script was actually quite good in parts, but the editing was so sloppy! There were three - THREE!!! -- montages in which the characters drank champagne to signify happiness and success. Three champagne-drinking montages is NEVER acceptable. It wouldn't have worked in Chariots of Fire and it doesn't work here. Also, they kept fading to black between scenes because the directors could not figure out how to coherently transition from scene to scene, which is pretty much the only thing the fucking director does other than yell at the actors for getting fat.

Also, you know a movie sucks when it has to break out random voice over to explain things to the audience. Dudes, script writing 101: no fucking voice over! If your movie needs voice over, then it makes no sense and you should fix it.

There were a few brilliant scenes and sight gags, especially having to do with religion. Another scene -- a flashback that was painfully out of place in the movie -- was still sort of brilliant on its own. But, the biggest problem with the movie was that the whole premise of Gervais's humor is to force everyday life into the realm of the deeply awkward and uncomfortable. In the non-lying world, no one ever gets uncomfortable or flustered or shamed because they are not ever insulated from unpleasant truth. Cruelty is habitual; it's just the yen of the communicational realm. Beyond the initial amusement of watching people live in a world of pure id, the constant truth just gets tiresome. (And inconsistent: People always tell the truth, but sometimes they keep their thoughts to themselves. Other times, when convenient for the momentum of the movie, the premise seems to shift and people say not only what is true but also just whatever they think.) Lesson: set-ups like this are great for improv troops, bad for films!!

Finally, Jennifer Garner's character was so contemptible and annoying. I guess you were supposed to like her for her naivete -- except everyone in the movie was naive, so it didn't signify anything special or sweet about her. Also, too much botox.

The bottom line is you should see the movie for the parody of religion and to give Ricky Gervais some money so he'll make more of those podcasts I like so much. That is all for now.