The Invention of Lying Reviews and Ratings


  • algerface
    November 24, 2009
    algerface
    If the religious aspect was just left out all together, a lot more people would have loved it I think
  • Cirvirus64
    November 24, 2009
    Cirvirus64
    A good poke at what life would be like without the ability to tell a lie, which is all Ricky's aiming for here, a sort of reverse Liar Liar which was also critically panned but yet also thoroughly enjoyable. It's a reasonably funny, charming and at times quite heartfelt study of ...( read more)social cruelties and human nature. But all in all, what this really boils down to is the man himself. For fans of Gervais style of humour it's a sweet treat, but for those who tired of him years ago or never appreciated his humour in the first place it's a torturous nightmare.
  • martymor72
    November 23, 2009
    martymor72
    Thought this film emphaised more on romance than gags.
  • wolfdreamer1112
    November 23, 2009
    wolfdreamer1112
    A clever idea... bad presentation... and if you believe in God at all... definitely skip it.
  • filmguy450
    November 22, 2009
    filmguy450
    Brilliant, just bloody brilliant! This isn't quite an outright rom-com, or all out comedy, as there are several very weighty dramatic parts, but it painted a smile on my face the whole time, and Grevais is great as the lead, and Jennifer Garner gives a very surprising and powerfu...( read more)l performance, and I was almost in tears at a few points here.
  • UnlimitedAmazinness
    November 22, 2009
    UnlimitedAmazinness
    Awesomee :)
    simple as !
  • gatorgirl13
    November 21, 2009
    gatorgirl13
    I was kind of disappointed with this film. I love Ricky Gervais and his performance was hilarious, as usual, but the rest of the cast didn't really deliver. Jennifer Garner just annoyed me in this movie. The plot was really creative, though.
  • ilovemiguel12
    November 20, 2009
    ilovemiguel12
    looks really funny. original storyline
  • xoJessica1991xo
    November 20, 2009
    xoJessica1991xo
    I turned the movie off before finishing it. Very boring.
  • boogertheclown
    November 19, 2009
    boogertheclown
    What do you get when you add a over-rated British actor with the ugliest woman on the face of the planet? The worst movie ever created!
  • wateverusay1
    November 19, 2009
    wateverusay1
    Could have been funner.
  • Ladiva4
    November 18, 2009
    Ladiva4
    this has a neat concept
  • HarleenQuinzel
    November 18, 2009
    HarleenQuinzel
    I adore Ricky Gervais' humor, and it's easy to tell that he had a hand in writing this film, which is one of the more original comedies, and certainly romcoms, I've seen in ages. Enjoyable, sometimes emotional, and always entertaining. It feels nice to see something new.
  • dompsych
    November 17, 2009
    dompsych
    brilliant. possibly funniest movie of the year
  • perdykool
    November 15, 2009
    perdykool
    that would be interesting
  • scattergood07
    November 14, 2009
    scattergood07
    A new fresh idea, which is hard to come across these days, and Gervais playing a different character, so end result, good film.
  • aneleahtram20
    November 14, 2009
    aneleahtram20
    El actor Ricky Gervais es un genio!
  • gawalvoord
    November 14, 2009
    gawalvoord
    Very good, interesting format. I enjoyed it.
  • flickgoddess
    November 13, 2009
    flickgoddess
    Ricky Gervais is his usual hilarious self-deprecating fat average guy in this and it works. The film isn't perfect, but it manages to be a romantic, funny, dramatic film that asks a lot of questions. Gervais pulled in anyone and everyone for a part in this practically and some...( read more) get better moments than others. I really enjoyed it even with a few flaws.
  • PrincessKiki22
    November 12, 2009
    PrincessKiki22
    Definitely has its funny moments...plus I just love the part with my girl from SVU........but I didn't really like how it was mocking Jesus Christ and the Ten Commandments........like I like some movies that kinda mock Christianity but at least they advertised themselves to do so...( read more) you no..if your gonna do it, be up front about it, Most likely I wont watch this movie again
  • eaglebob99
    November 12, 2009
    eaglebob99
    jennifer garner ROCKS !
  • thebeasttaz
    November 12, 2009
    thebeasttaz
    Pretty funny. Interesting story and Gervais is great. Makes me happy we live in a world where people can lie interestingly enough.
  • JasonDennis91786
    November 12, 2009
    JasonDennis91786
    i almost always hate what if movies
  • nickallan05
    November 11, 2009
    nickallan05
    It's a pretty irritating movie really. It failed to make any real statement. There was a half-hearted attempt to build some kind of deeper comic joke but at the end i left feeling my time had been wasted.
  • jennitacr
    November 11, 2009
    jennitacr
    No esta muy interesante que digamos...
  • kemoooo7
    November 10, 2009
    kemoooo7
    I expect it's totally awesome
  • christiano717
    November 9, 2009
    christiano717
    I really loved this movie. Gervais is as funny as he ever is but he shows actual range which is surprising and the movie is touching in a way you don't expect it to be. Everyone else is strong and clever in the way they ALWAYS have to tell the truth. It's a refreshing, funny and ...( read more)surprisingly touching movie.
  • starchick200325
    November 8, 2009
    starchick200325
    Had me laughing the first couple of minutes, kind of died down as the movie went on.
  • ChimiChanga21
    November 7, 2009
    ChimiChanga21
    Ricky Gervais is one step closer to become one of my favourite comedy actors. Lets see how it goes.
  • Aubjac
    November 7, 2009
    Aubjac
    the begining was hilarious then the movie because extremely boring and pointless almost not even interesting enough to watch anymore. It was a funny movie nonetheless.
  • oliviawilder
    November 5, 2009
    oliviawilder
    Sick of Ricky Gervais being Ricky Gervais. Jennifer Garner was the only light in this dud.
  • madirmabbott
    November 3, 2009
    madirmabbott
    Can't sustain the idea - but we all love Ricky Gervais non-the-less.
  • Mattshawty42
    November 1, 2009
    Mattshawty42
    it is awsome its worth seee=ing it
  • pedersilver5
    October 31, 2009
    pedersilver5
    I used to like the Liars club on Saturday Night TV program. Will this measures up ?
  • her69eyes
    October 31, 2009
    her69eyes
    Like "Idiocracy", "The Invention of Lying" has a wonderful premise but nothing to do with it. What if nobody ever told a single lie. People would be brutally honest, for one thing, but co-screenwriters Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson also illustrate that it is a world without ...( read more)God. It's unsurprising that the trailers have failed to mention the many ways that this film pokes fun at all organized religions - but, as funny and inspired as those gags may be, the romantic drama at the core of the film bogs the movie down tremendously.

    Mark Bellison (Ricky Gervais) narrates a world in which there has never been a single lie. Not only that, people seem to have no filter - people bring up masturbation and attempted suicide alongside shopping lists. Our hero falls in love with a woman, Anna (Jennifer Garner), who considers him a poor genetic match. The problem with making a romantic comedy out of this premise is that Anna couldn't be any less appealing - we don't like her, and we can't fathom why he would.

    The inability to lie also causes problems in the media. Advertisements are replaced by honest spokesmen reciting taglines like "Coke: It's very famous" and "Pepsi: For when they don't have Coke". The film industry, where Mark makes his living as a screenwriter, makes completely factual blockbusters - meaning, well, Christopher Guest sits in front of a camera and reads about the 17th century. Mark, unfortunately, is unsuccessful at work because he's been assigned the 13th century, which, as it turns out, was really kind of drab.

    When Mark discovers the ability to lie, he, of course, is able to swindle himself all of the money and sex he wants. What he also does, however, is tell his mother about the afterlife while on her deathbed. The doctors, incredibly naive, must believe him, and soon enough Mark spins a story about "the man in the sky" and post-mortem mansions. A press conference in which Mark must explain the intricacies of our creator is the highpoint of the film. When Mark scribes his version of the ten commandments on a sheet of paper, he complains "I wish I had... tablets... or something."

    The comedy is risky material for a mainstream Hollywood film, but unfortunately it's bogged down by formula in every other way. Turning this material into a romantic comedy was an enormous miscalculation - Anna is as unlikable as any romantic lead you'll ever see. Moreso, her cruelty only begs the question: why, in a world of honesty, do people have to blurt out everything that crosses their mind? That has nothing to do with honesty - it has everything to do with manners and self-control.

    I'm a big fan of Ricky Gervais, and it's been disappointing to see his lackluster translation to mainstream American films. His audience deserves much more, and so does he - a comedian with a mind like his should not be reduced to treading through tired formula pictures.
  • sisterstwin71
    October 30, 2009
    sisterstwin71
    Jennifer Garner and that other guy were funny. The movie was just dumb. The premise being the "invention of God" came from the invention of a lie... I wanted my money back..not worth the few laughs
  • flickfever
    October 30, 2009
    flickfever
    How do you go about getting your way--or making your way--in a world where fiction or lying (even white lies) are non-existent? In The Invention of Lying, that question seems to be the prevailing theme. Of course, things in our world are made so much more simple by the act of tel...( read more)ling "harmless" fibs and bending the truth in order to benefit from said acts.

    It would be a lie to say that this film is without its fair share of imperfections. Of course, the plot plays out more like a gimmick to keep you engaged than it does an inspired concept. But, with Ricky Gervais (who created the story) that's usually what you get. And that's not a bad thing. Usually, his films (like last year's Ghost Town) and his television work ("The Office," "Extras") is built on a whimsical foundation in order to layer on the subtext and the sardonic, acerbic wit and the biting social commentary.

    With "Lying," he goes out of his way to make a joke out of our preconceptions about one another. The fact that humans can be so frivolous and superficial is an instant delight to watch being parodied on screen.

    But then, as the film progresses and the first lie in invented, we see that what's at the heart of the matter is how hypocritical humans are and how we're so blinded by certain truths and so eager to be self-righteous about other supposed truths--or lies--depending on which side of the fence you happen to be on.

    Eventually, what you get is a delightful movie that entertains and tugs at your socially-conscious sleeve. If you happen to be against any sort of blasphemous or slanted view on what life means, this movie is definitely not for you. If you have a semblance of a sense of humor then, by all means, enjoy the film for what it's worth. It's not cinema worthy of elevating the human spirit to heights never before explored. It's simply a sarcastic comedy about the way we choose to perceive one another and the way we choose to live our lives.

    P.S. If you're expecting to see the great cast of actors (Rob Lowe, Jennifer Garner, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill) employed to a great capacity, you will be disappointed. With the exception of Garner, who plays a snobbish, albeit honest woman, the cast appears more as a courtesy or favor to Gervais. His projects usually garner the right kind of critical acclaim and, more than doing Gervais a favor, the actors seem to be in the movie in order to their own careers a favor--by starring in a film with a perceived prestige factor such as this one.
  • phubbs1
    October 30, 2009
    phubbs1
    The Invention of Lying

    This started of as quite a good amusing film, Gervais (you like him or loath him) is good in his little role of a lonely sad man trying to make it in a world of truth, the jokes are along the lines of 'The Office' to a degree...the embarrassment factor whe...( read more)n the truth boils down to it type of thing hehe but it is predictable with the amusing lines being 'old' or 'been there done that'.

    Thats the first problem really, the plot is a kind of Jim Carrey movie mixture haha take elements from Bruce Almighty with Liar Lair and you have this, but not as good, a kind of poor man's equivalent. We've seen it all before and you know the outcome of the plot and most setups long before they happen but there are still some funny moments :)

    The other problem is the plot gets way too silly as the film moves on, as Gervais character becomes more god like it just gets daft, you start wondering how the film is gonna dig itself out of this huge hole its merrily digging itself into, much like Gervais character in the film, so I guess it keeps you watching for that really, morbid curiosity more than anything haha

    Not bad but hardly great.
  • eviharyati
    October 29, 2009
    eviharyati
    very wonderfull movie
  • samtan2988
    October 29, 2009
    samtan2988
    I not sure how to write a review on this movie that I only watched it for about 15mins and I walk out!!!

    My personal comment >> BORING movie.
  • blackchakrarenegade
    October 29, 2009
    blackchakrarenegade
    Oh...heck yes! Ricky Gervais rules comedy
  • fauzifaozoy
    October 28, 2009
    fauzifaozoy
    jennifer garner? ehm... maybe i like!
  • erk42
    October 28, 2009
    erk42
    Lying Has Never Been So Hilarious

    This is the third film of the year that I found hilarious with a perfect ensemble. This satire hits all the right notes and Ricky Gervais has never been more likable. The whole cast does a fantastic job and the laughs keep on coming. There's ...( read more)even a few surprise cameos that serve up as the cherry on top.
  • cmaat
    October 27, 2009
    cmaat
    C-. not good. it's too bad - i had high hopes. 10/09
  • mickbits1
    October 27, 2009
    mickbits1
    In your face comedy with a religious underplot. funny because they thought of everything.
  • jallyjay
    October 27, 2009
    jallyjay
    oh come on.. at starters it gets a bit weird.. but till the end it's really weird.. as if..
  • mewanta
    October 27, 2009
    mewanta
    A lot of bad humor in this movie so I loved that ... as it reached into the love story more tho I was put off but still this was a great movie I thought
  • dumebia
    October 27, 2009
    dumebia
    really want to view this

Summary

The Invention of Lying Summary