"The Invention of Lying" - REVIEW

It's unfortunate that "The Invention of Lying" starts losing direction after its first 25 minutes, because within the setup is the potential for a truly fascinating farce. Set in a world where no-one has ever lied (there aren't even fictional novels/films), the comedy, starring "Extras" and "The Office" (UK) funnyman Ricky Gervais hits its comedic highs in the introduction, despite being burdened with a near pointless bit of narration. The things people say, and the almost eager directness with which they say them, is particularly funny considering that it's impossible to fathom our world being the way it is without a few fibs. So when Mark Bellison (Gervais), after a day filled with misfortune (which includes getting fired from his job as a "screenwriter" for historical films), and strapped for cash says that he wants to withdraw $800 from his bank account when he only has $300, it sets off a chain of events that are actually fascinating, even though Gervais and Matthew Robinson's direction is at times surprisingly laggy. While there are good performances from the cast (particularly Gervais, who even gets to show some dramatic talent), the problem with the film is that the events that unfold, even those that start to deal with issues of religion and God, would seem to fit better into a traditional half hour episode of "South Park", instead of an hour and 40 minutes. Such a condensed format would keep the laughs coming, while also keeping the satire feel richer and sharper. Unfortunately, even the cast, which includes two major star cameos, can't raise this promising idea above anything more than "just fine" territory. If such a premise is to succeed as a feature-length film, it's going to have to offer us more than what the unusually brilliant Gervais gives us here. And that's no lie.

Grade: C