The Invention of Lying (Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Rob Lowe, Jeffrey Tambor, Jonah Hill, Louis C.K.) — Any movie with star cameos keeps my interest. The Invention of Lyingentertains in many ways, but most of all, I loved seeing Philip Seymour Hoffman, Edward Norman, Jason Bateman, Christopher Guest and Tina Fey in very small roles in the film. Lying centers on writer/actor Ricky Gervais, who has successfully transferred his British stardom, particularly in The Office, to America albeit at age 48. He has appeared in both Night at the Museum movies, playing the museum manager. And he took the lead in the under-rated film, Ghost Town, with Greg Kinnear. He is a throwback comedic actor with his droll delivery and plain looks. He isn’t slapstick; he’s a sad sack. He’s the lovable loser, which allows him to play the underdog and to get serious. He seems perfectly comfortable with the camera. The Invention of Lying sets up an alternative universe where all of its citizens tell the truth all of the time. They do it through stream of consciousness, holding nothing back verbally regardless of its impact. This creates some of the funniest 20-30 minutes of movie comedy I have seen in years.
Gervais plays Mark Bellison, a slightly chubby nice guy who longs for shallow, beautiful Anna McDoogles, played by one of my least favorite actresses, Jennifer Garner. They go on a blind date with predictable consequences. In this honest-to-a-fault world, she tells him she has bad vibes about their date, thinks he is unattractive, probably won’t even kiss him at the end of the date and would never consider marriage because they’d have fat, pug-nosed kids. Of course, in real life, she would have dinner and just politely say good night. But here, he accepts his fate even though she enjoys the date more than she thought and gives him a peck on the cheek at the end of the night.
To add some tension, Mark is about to lose his job as a movie screenwriter at a studio that produces historical films. Mark is assigned the 14th century, poor guy, where the only notable event was the Black Plague. Pretty hard to make that entertaining, don’t you think? Everyone knows he’s about to get fired by his boss (Jeffrey Tambor), including his acerbic assistant, played by Tina Fey. His main rival at the studio is Brad Kessler, played perfectly sleazy by Rob Lowe. He wins the girls, wins the best projects (he has the 18ththrough 20th centuries), and knows that his physical superiority will win Anna’s heart. But he is a jerk.
When Mark’s beloved mum is on her deathbed, he faces his grief and her fear of death by doing something never done before – he lies to her. He tells her that she is going to a better place where everyone is met by a “man in the sky,” gets a mansion, and is happy for eternity. Of course, mom, the doctor (Jason Bateman), and the nurses believe him because everyone tells the truth. Like in Bruce Almighty or Evan Almighty, word spreads about the “man in the sky,” making Mark rich, famous … and miserable. It is here that the movie turns from hysterical to serious to a bit boring. Unfortunately, the premise had nowhere to go so we head toward the predictable ending. It doesn’t ruin the film, which I liked very much. But it keeps The Invention of Lying from being a great romantic comedy.