The Invention Of Lying

senordingdong

I optimistically went to see this the other day and came out some what disappointed.

I hadn't heard anything about the film until maybe two weeks ago when I read an interview with Ricky Gervais.
He spoke about the film in a way that grabbed my attention as he said, it will be a refreshing break from the current comedy trend in that it would be a comedy that isn't all tits and fart jokes.

The film however didn't live up to that expectation.
Some of the jokes were lewd, will not entirely, not as bad as an American teen movie but definitely lower than the standard set out by Gervais himself.
Likewise, the plot was somewhat niggling at me for the whole film.

He created a world where nobody has ever lied, which I imagine would have made writing the film difficult. But in that vein, you can find alot wrong with the characters actions and dialogue. I didn't understand why everybody was so forthcoming with inappropriate things.
Also, the story itself became somewhat skewed and seemed to change direction at a few points.

Ultimately the film was good for a few laughs, particularly if you are a fan of Gervais. But it won't have a lasting impact.

scudzilla

Seen the trailer for this when went to the cinema a month or so ago, looked ok, but i was concerned that all the funny bits were in the trailer.

Might wait for a dvd release

FearDark

Im one of Ricky Gervais' biggest fans, think the man is a genius tbh, but this movie did not live up to my expectations at all. The thing that bugged me most about the movie was the way people just went around saying innapropriate things to each other - all the time, ok so I understand in the movie that nobody could lie, but people just went around blurting absolute crap from their mouths, the film is about the inability to lie not the inability to keep thoughts in your damn head.

There was a few laughs in it, my favourite bit was smerch and Barry from Eastenders bit

the whole year inn

Went in and I hated this movie, it went nowhere.Turned into a love story in the middle and what previous posters said that blantant talking to each other was very annoying.I did like rob lowe in it,I also thought ricky was terrible as the leading man,

johnny_ultimate

Seriously disliked this film. There are a couple of decent sight gags in the first half hour or so, but then it descends into a sloppy and dull love story. It commits the biggest sin a rom-com can make: unlikable characters. How the hell are we meant to want Gervais and Garner to get together when the latter is so horrifically one-dimensional? Ok, that is the premise of the film - everyone is one-dimensional (and I was a bit confused at how telling the truth automatically renders everyone an asshole - pretty simplistic take on the concept), but for a romance it just doesn't work. There are occasional moments when the film that might have been shine through - the 'Man in the Sky' sequence - but overall this is a very weak film that plays to none of the star's/director's strengths (although the more I see of his Hollywood output the more I think he may not have that much talent at all), and ultimately comes across as an instantly disposable rom-com that completely wastes a decent central concept.

Stephen Merchant's cameo was funny though.

Du

The way people just insulted peoples looks so blatently wasnt funny at all, terrible comedy

abouttobebanned

Saw this yesterday, may as well have been called "the invention of the cameo".

Ignoring the long list of plt holes for a second (Is the problem that people can't lie...or is it that must say everything that they're thinking - surely they've invented saying nothing at all)...it really is poorly acted, poorly directed...everything really. There are a few laughs in there, but they're the same kind of laughs that we get occasionally in the "movie" series of films (scary, super hero, date etc)... It doesn't go anywhere, and unfortunately it doesn't go anywhere very slowly - it's way too long.

Gervais, in a way, reminds me of Peter Taylor and Brian Clough (strange analogy I know)...Clough's best work was with Taylor, without him, he struggled. Without Stephen Merchant, Gervais is, frankly, ****. It says a lot that Merchant's minute or so steals the entire movie.

I only went to see this cause UP was sold out, in a way I got what I expected from the film, I expected it to be poor, and poor it was.

kippy

I have to say, I am not, nor have ever been a Gervais fan however the other half wants to go and see this. I think I'll be taking a rain check on this one based on comments here.
Doesnt sound like its a patch on Liar Liar, which in itself wasnt great but was at least funny in parts. Twas probably an easier plot to do however.

Penn

Its not even the fact that everyone just said everything that they were thinking, no matter how insulting it was. My problem was the fact that everyone was offended when they were insulted. If it was truly a world like that, everyone would always be getting insulted, so they wouldn't be offended.

If someone called you fat, and you were fat, then you know you are fat and you can't lie to yourself to make yourself think you're thin. So how could you be insulted?

Plus, Jennifer Garner was like a robot in that film.

There were some pretty funny bits. The 'Man in the Sky' bit, and Gervais talking to his friends in the bar after he figures out he can lie. But overall, the presime just limits everything too much.