The Lie (I) (2011)

A man's life is altered unexpectedly after telling a lie to get out of work.

Director:

Joshua Leonard

Writers:

T. Coraghessan Boyle (short story), Jeff Feuerzeig (additional material),

Stars:

Alia Shawkat, Kelli Garner, Jess Weixler

Cast

Credited cast:
Alia Shawkat	...	Seven
Kelli Garner	...	Brianna
Mark Webber	...	Tank
James Ransone	...	Weasel
Jane Adams	...	Dr. Bentel
Jess Weixler	...	Clover
Joshua Leonard	...	Lonnie
Gerry Bednob	...	Radko
Kirk Baltz	...	Joel
Allison Anders	...	Allison
Matthew Newton	...	Steve
Holly Woodlawn	...	Cherry
Lola Blanc	...	Green-Eyed Girl (as Kandice Melonakos)
Tipper Newton	...	Jeannie
Germaine Mozel Sims	...	Diner

Storyline

A man's life is altered unexpectedly after telling a lie to get out of work.

---

Taglines:

He's about to have a moment of truth.

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some drug use

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 November 2011 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Das Films, Perception Media

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Color:

Color

User Reviews

Surprised at the very low rating this film got!!

Basically, this movie is about a man (and his wife) having a pre-mid-life crisis that starts and ends in the span of a week.

I heard about this movie and checked its rating on here (which, at the time of this writing, was 4.8.) Generally when things are that low I give them a pass, but I watched the trailer and was strangely compelled to try it anyway. I enjoy indie movies as whole. I find they are all quite character driven, usually dialogue heavy, prone to closeups and no-frills in most departments. I feel like this movie is a pretty perfect example of that and wonder if (despite the written reviews) those people that simply gave it a score without a review are judging it harshly in comparison to larger budget dramas? If you're looking for action or twists, this is definitely not the movie for you! But, if you enjoy observing characters and getting into their heads, this is a pretty good movie for that. Not great, but good! Also very well rounded.

The main actor, Joshua Leonard (also the director) was in another recent indie movie I saw called Higher Ground. That movie received a score of 6.8 on here (again, at this time) yet I actually found this movie much more compelling and watchable than that one and enjoyed it more as a whole.

The actors in this movie are fantastic. Whether or not you enjoy the plot, you cannot deny that the actors (specifically the main two) do amazing work with their expressions conveying internal thoughts. Some of the scenery/cinematography is quite lovely as well.

The main theme may be a bit cringe-worthy to some (not me) and heavyish at times, but ultimately this is not a depressing movie as a whole. The trailer gives a very good outline of the movie, but leaves the ending out.