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It`s Complicated

The Invention of Lying

Rating

Type Video On Demand

Audience Rating PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)

Release Date 2010-01-19

Actor Ricky Gervais; Jonah Hill; Jeffrey Tambor; Jennifer Garner; Fionnula Flanagan;

Director Ricky Gervais; Matthew Robinson;

Length 100 minutes

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Description

From Ricky Gervais, the prize-winning creator and star of the original BBC series "The Office" and HBO's "Extras," comes a new romantic comedy. "The Invention of Lying" takes situate in an alternate reality in which lying--even the concept of a lie--does not exist. Everyone--from politicians to advertisers to the man and woman on the street--speaks the truth and nothing but the truth together with no thought of the consequences. But when a down-on-his-luck loser named Mark (Gervais) suddenly develops the capability to lie, he locates this dishonesty has its rewards. In a world where each word is assumed to be the absolute truth, Mark effortlessly lies his way to fame and fortune. But lies have a way of spreading, and Mark begins to realize this things are getting a little out of control when some of his tallest tales are being taken as, well, gospel. Together with the entire world now hanging on his each word, there is only one thing Mark has not been effective to lie his way into: the heart of the woman he loves.

Customer Reviews

A slimy little film 2010-09-02

By J. C Clark (Overland Park, KS United States)

OK, since Ricky acted in, wrote, directed, produced and probably made the sandwiches for this frightfully bad film, I guess we know what he thinks. There are so many things wrong with it that I could write 5000 words, but there's no need. It is a snide and trite film, where, as in Liar, Liar (which was, amazingly, better than this!) people say every stupid thing that comes to their mind. The supposed jokes, as when the hostess says to the gorgeous woman, "I feel threatened by you" are irritating. First, saying every dumb thing that you think is not being truthful, it is being rude. It is easy to be thruthful without insulting people. (I guess Hollywood can't imagine that concept.) But a civilization where fiction was unknown would not operate in our moral plane. It would be hugely different. So, use your brain oh creative genius! Establish that place! Don't just show me our world with that difference. A powerful lack of imagination and insight made this film far, far, far less than what it might have been.

I have seen better writing by high-schoolers. Awful, boring, stupid, insulting, condescending, tedious, predictable, derivative, uninspired, unimaginative...how many other words do we need? This is one terrible film. And it's not even funny......two or three wan chuckles. I paid $4.00 for this, and paid waaaay too much!

In Between 2010-08-30

By L. Bullock (Mendocino, CA)

I gave this film four stars because: A) it was a Ricky Gervais movie and I just like him, B) A film that has this kind of idea was lucky to get greenlit in the first place. C) it was funny. Not the best funny I've ever seen, but anything that touches the religious third rail and gets out alive is a miracle. Yes, the irony is intended. D) I added the fourth star just for the hell of it to counter the numerous one star reviews that hacked at the film from all extremes: far right and far left and far snobby and far dumb.

Apparently when a filmmaker hasn't made the film you already had in your head, that's a bad thing. Fair enough. I've had my share of films like that. But this film was by no stretch of the imagination a one star film. Love it or hate it, it took a great idea and made a mainstream film. That's all. It had good acting and while the story was weak at points, it was strong at points as well.

For anyone reading this thinking that it is an "attack" on religion: Pshaw. If it's an attack on anything, it's an attack on not thinking for yourself. When Bradshaw asks Gervais, "What does the man in the sky want me to do?" Gervais doesn't answer her and walks away. Now, he could have said: "The man in the sky may give you a mansion when you die, and love eternal, but while you're living he would appreciate it if you would let him off the hook for every damn little thing that happens to you, he'd appreciate it, if, from time to time you could make up your own damn mind."

As for the "not smart enough" crowd, I repeat--mainstream movie. For everyone. Pandering? Perhaps. But, cynically enough, movies are made to make money as well as art. Until the time of the great enlightenment, that's a fact. Kudos to those who got this made and who made it work most of the time.

That's it. Some of the one star reviews made good points, but still. And, as always, opinions are like nipples. Everybody has two. Or sometimes more and they get into the book of World Records-- or burned as a witch. C'est la vie.

Great message, great love story 2010-08-24

By R. Dunbar

The premise of the movie is: what if everyone always had to tell the truth? That sounds really good at first, but how about the people who say, "Your baby is ugly" or "Yes, you really are a loser," etc?? Yes, that's the world you enter in the movie, but it's done well and you discover the likeable "hero" who is about to lose his job and also can't get the girl he loves. Well, he does lose his job and the girl says she's not interested, but that's not the end of his story, which has more than a few twists and turns and is suspenseful up to the end. It is a lovingly crafted, well acted, tender movie.

It was also filmed in Lowell, Massachustts which is shown at its most beautiful. This is an old mill town that over the years has worked very hard to "come back," and has succeeded. The location adds to the reality of the movie.

Much more than it seems... 2010-08-22

By Phil Harnick (Los Angeles, CA United States)

This film could be the subject of a college philosophy course, as "Groundhog Day" became. Go beneath the characters, the plot, the grand idea of a world without lying. Watch it a few times. You'll find yourself surrounded by so many grand ideas, lurking just below the surface - that are so wonderful when they dawn upon you. It's easily one of the most thought-provoking and intelligent artistic expressions of the past decade.

This movie is an acquired taste 2010-08-21

By Newton Ooi (Phoenix, Arizona United States)

This is probably one of the most original movies of the past decade. The story is simple enough; mankind has not learned how to lie, and we witness the very first man acquire and use this "talent." Set in modern-day America, most likely a small town in the New England countryside, this story shows what society might be like if everyone told the truth, and nothing but the truth, without pause or censorship. Now first of, if I were a thinking man, I would straight away ask if American society would have developed towns, cars, dress styles, businesses and other features if no lie was ever told? I doubt it, so the entire setting of the movie is somewhat "artificial" to start of with. But if we pass on this and look at the plot itself, we find another problem. Everybody speaks the first thing that comes to their mind. In fact, everyone goes out of their way to speak the first thing in their mind, or is supposed to. If this were literally true, the movie's dialogue would progress like a stream-of-consciousness novel. But what the movie actually shows is a rude world wherever everyone looks down and talks down to everyone else. So a more appropriate title would be "The Invention of Pause, Politeness, Second Thoughts, and Lying". Even taking this into account, the movie is quite boring in places as the movie is essentially exploring a society different from ours. So there are long scenes of dialogue devoid of comedy, action, suspense or romance. Which of course makes for a boring movie. Watch this movie for the originality, not for the entertainment.