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The Invention of Lying (2009) 6.4
Ratings:
6.4/10 from 65,456 users
Metascore: 58/100
Reviews: 269 user | 187 critic | 31 from Metacritic.com A comedy set in a world where no one has ever lied, until a writer seizes the opportunity for personal gain. |
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Title: The Invention of Lying (2009)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Ricky Gervais | ... | ||
| Jennifer Garner | ... | ||
| Jonah Hill | ... | ||
| Louis C.K. | ... | ||
| Jeffrey Tambor | ... | ||
| Fionnula Flanagan | ... | ||
| Rob Lowe | ... | ||
| Tina Fey | ... | ||
 |
Donna Sorbello | ... | |
| Stephanie March | ... | ||
| Ruben Santiago-Hudson | ... | ||
| John Hodgman | ... | ||
| Nathan Corddry | ... |
News Reporter
(as Nate Corddry)
|
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| Jimmi Simpson | ... | ||
| Martin Starr | ... |
Waiter #1
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|
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Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
Storyline
It's a world where everyone tells the truth - and just about anything they're thinking. Mark Bellison is a screenwriter, about to be fired. He's short and chunky with a flat nose - a genetic setup that means he won't get to first base with Anna, the woman he loves. At a bank, on the spur of the moment he blurts out a fib, with eye-popping results. Then, when his mother's on her deathbed, frightened of the eternal void awaiting her, Mark invents fiction. The hospital staff overhear his description of Heaven, believe every word, and tell others. Soon Mark is a prophet, his first inventive screenplay makes him rich, and he's basically a good guy. But will that be enough for Anna? Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
Taglines:
In a world where everyone can only tell the truth... ...this guy can lie. See more »Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
Rated PG-13 for language including some sexual material and a drug reference | See all certifications »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
2 October 2009 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
This Side of the Truth See more »Box Office
Budget:
$18,500,000 (estimated)Opening Weekend:
£1,735,326 (UK) (2 October 2009)Gross:
$18,439,082 (USA) (11 December 2009)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Color:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?
Trivia
The wedding chapel at the end of the movie is located in Sudbury, Massachusetts, west of the Wayside Inn. The Martha-Mary Chapel was built by Henry Ford in 1938-9, also visible outside the chapel is the red schoolhouse made famous by Mary Sawyer, who had a lamb follow her to school. See more »Goofs
In the funeral parlor, Anna takes Mark's hand, and the position of her other hand changes between shots. Before, her free hand is beside her leg. After, her free hand is on top of her leg. See more »Quotes
Anna's Mother: Just because he's talking to the man in the sky doesn't mean he's good enough to be your friend.See more »
In a world where people can only tell the truth, Ricky Gervais creates the lie. What follows this simple concept with great potential is a series of quick fire jokes made funny by the sheer bluntness of the absolute truth. The screenplay is lightly comical but rarely laugh-out-loud funny and continually relies on the same concept.
As the plot progresses, it veers from quick-fire jokes to a parody of religion. On the one hand, this offers an interesting and thought-provoking reflection; however, I found the developing plot to become mildly preachy and irritating to watch. The humour level drops and the religious overtones and romantic subplot overshadow the interesting idea.
Visually, I found the film to be rather drab and dreary. Similarly, I didn't care for the dowdy and monotonous score and soundtrack choices. I understand that these are probably intended to represent a world without fiction, but they make the film a little tedious to watch and don't add anything to the movie. I enjoyed Jenifer Garner's performance as Gervais' love interest which she's plays with harsh yet likable realism, but Gervais' lead performance left me a little cold. In combination with lacklustre screenplay, I was left unimpressed with the utilisation of a potentially hilarious and fascinating concept.
The Invention of Lying is a quiet, simple movie on the surface, but underneath lies a more complex, thought-provoking moral allegory, albeit one that fails to deliver anything truly remarkable. It tries to be clever, but fails to deliver.
5/10.