The Invention of Lying (2009)

Ricky Gervais popularized the catchphrase "Are you 'avin' a laff?" on his sitcom Extras - to the extent that the line appeared on an episode of Lost - and so it's only proper to begin this review by answering the question... affirmatively. Yes, with The Invention of Lying, I'm having a laugh.

The Invention of Lying blends high concept with on-the-ball execution by introducting a world in which no one except D-list screenwriter Mark Bellison (Gervais) lies. The formula, then, is fairly simple: Boy (Gervais) meets Girl (Jennifer Garner as Anna). Girl is out of Boy's league. Boy loses Girl. Boy learns that he can get his way by being dishonest. Girl falls for Boy.

The conceit is fairly rudimentary - a man who lies in a world unfamiliar with dishonesty is automatically believed, no matter what - and it runs a very serious risk of being run aground. I'd been burned with Gervais's last theatrical outing, Ghost Town (also a high concept picture albeit with very poor and tedious execution), so I wasn't expecting much with The Invention of Lying; indeed, I was anticipating abandoning the film 30 minutes in. Imagine my pleasant surprise, then, when I felt compelled to finish the movie. Perhaps it was the result of lowered expectations (compounded by a series of really disappointing movies preceding this one in my moviegoing repertoire), but I'm inclined to believe it's because the film is really clever about its main premise. Rather than rehash the same joke like Night at the Museum (I get it - the exhibits come alive), The Invention of Lying takes the idea and runs with it. An example of world-building at its finest, the film takes every permutation of the premise and makes it real - secretaries, police officers, and bank tellers are all examined in a new light.

Maybe Lying soars where Ghost Town merely hovered because Gervais actually had a hand in writing and directing this one. Memo to Hollywood: Gervais is one of a talented few who excels at creating his own material. Perhaps that's because he's just a genuinely entertaining man. He has an infectious laugh, a funny presence, and a downright deft capacity to turn even a simple shrug into a punch line. I'd like to say the same for Garner, too, who I think doesn't get enough play, either because people have typecast her as "that girl from Alias" or because people have typecast her as "that girl who married Ben Affleck." But the truth is that she's a more than decent comedic actress, with good timing and a contagious smile. Putting the two together, then, seems obvious in hindsight.

Another delight in the film, aside from the clever and well-executed concept, is the overwhelming quantity of cameos from major Hollywood stars, all of whom must agree that Gervais is one of the funniest men alive. We've got Rob Lowe as Mark's rival screenwriter nemesis, and the poster teases the appearances of Jonah Hill and Tina Fey. But there are many other famous faces appearing here, though it might be criminal to spoil their presence. (Suffice it to say, I did not expect to see a major Academy Award winner in the film, much less as a bartender in only one scene). I will note, though, that Jeffrey Tambor - another one of those guys who can make me laugh just by standing around with his face hanging out - pops in for a few great scenes as Mark's spineless boss, who can't disguise his social awkwardness in this perma-honest world.

What's fascinating about The Invention of Lying is the social commentary that Gervais offers (with the help of cowriter Matthew Robinson). There's an atheistic subplot that develops when Mark tells a lie that balloons into the formation of his world's first religion, despite the fact that Mark tries to cover his tracks by denying the existence of a "man in the sky." More compelling, though, is the way in which Gervais suggests that many of our world's structure is founded upon dishonesty. Religion's on the list, according to the film, but common courtesy and social order also suffer when honesty is the order of the day. As distasteful as it sounds, our world is based in deception, the film argues, but an entirely honest world isn't perfect, either.

But when you boil it down, The Invention of Lying is just plain funny. Honest.

The Invention of Lying is rated PG-13 "for language including some sexual material and a drug reference." Since everyone's honest, there is frank discussion about whether or not people will have sex; as for the drug reference, drinking abounds, and one character mentions cocaine.