Chirphymium
It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional
WillSushyMedia
This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.
Donald Seymour
This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.
cathylr
Probably the only film that I have watched twice in my adulthood. Set in a world where nobody knows what it is not to say the naked truth, it reveals the benefits of learning how to lie. Beyond the number of situations in which we are gaining at keeping some of the truth for ourselves, it is also about not hurting people by being too honest. I found it very entertaining, refreshing, and eventually moral.
blumdeluxe
"The Invention of Lying" tells the story of a middle-aged writer, living in a world where no lie has ever been spoken. After a series of rather depressing events, he notices that by simply not telling the truth, he can earn a lot of personal profit, which rapidly gets him into some quite tricky situations.It is generally a clever idea to show the value of lies through a scenario where they're missing completely. Unfortunately, a lot of times it feels like there hasn't been much more than this concept as a basis for this film. There are indeed some very funny scenes, coming along with a few very clever predictions for this fictional scenario. However, some of the other gags are rather cheap and the whole part about religion seemed a bit too wanted. All in all this is a can-watch with some nice ideas under pretty interesting circumstances. Nothing you mustn't miss but surely not the worst comedy for a cozy tv evening.
esklepios
Hard to believe that as I write, this is 9 years old. I was pointed to it by Avi Tuschman's book: Our Political Nature: The Evolutionary Origins of What Divides Us and bought the DVD.A satire on organized religion (but not amoral or without compassion), a satire on Kantian ethics, and the way some women and some men choose partners I found this deeply uncomfortable to watch - AND WELL WORTH IT. Not surprised some people left the cinema, I ended up watching much of it in 5 - 15 minute chunks mainly because of the cringe factor.The opening part of the film is definitely the funniest as people calmly offer their real thoughts and actions rather than polite platitudes. After that the film gets down to serious business and there are few laugh out loud moments. While the first lie emerges as a counter to job loss and potential eviction, we soon see lying being used to help the troubled, the homeless and street poor. The potential for happy myths to do real harm is touched on but not really explored, while the potential of happy myths to do some good is explored in a little more depth.For the most part the acting is excellent, though the Gervais monologue at his mother's headstone could have gone on the editor's floor. The music and choice of songs suited well and I certainly had no problem with the cinematography.If you can cope with some discomfort you will have some laughs, and certainly be left with something to think about and talk about.
rooprect
...and this movie falls on clever. "The Invention of Lying" presents itself as a breezy, silly, absurd allegory about a world where dishonesty doesn't exist. That is until, you guessed it: "the invention of lying".Like a good Franz Kafka story, this film hits us with an utterly ridiculous premise, but as it unfolds it teaches us some valuable lessons about human nature. Ultimately it makes us think more about ourselves than any real life drama ever could. And it's hilarious to boot.What would you do if you lived in a world where the concept of dishonesty was unfathomable, and anything you said would be believed without question? The stage is ripe for some hilarious gags, and this movie hits basically all of them. But it never becomes boring because new, ponderous avenues keep opening up for our hero "Mark" (Ricky Gervais) who plays the role as a lovable, kind-hearted loser who stumbles on this super power. At first he acts as you would guess, but when he finally comes to grips with his awesome/catastrophic power, it leads to some deep soul-searching. In that respect it reminded me of the excellent "Groundhog Day" where Bill Murray is stuck repeating the same day over & over, knowing events and peoples' reactions before they happen. Groundhog Day itself was a very profound philosophical allegory disguised as a silly comedy, and that's exactly what we get here.The acting was very personable, allowing you to really get inside the heads of all the characters. That plus the funny chain of events guarantees an entertaining ride from start to finish. It stays comical and witty throughout, but I have to mention there is at least 1 very powerful scene that may have you stunned in silence.If you enjoy poignant what-if comedies like "Groundhog Day", "The Truman Show", or on the more serious side "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", "Run Lola Run" and the classic "It's a Wonderful Life", then you'll really enjoy this fresh spin. Just tell the usher you lost your ticket and maybe he'll believe you and let you in for free. Eh, wishful thinking.
