The art of keeping up appearances through both lying and telling the truth has been explored in various Hollywood films over time. Strangely enough, Jim Carrey comes to mind – he’s involved himself on both sides (think The Truman Show and Liar Liar). But when one of Hollywood’s newer funny-men introduces himself to the ‘lie’ sub-genre in a film concerning the invention of the lie, it appears to be a fresh idea full of possibilities. Englishman Ricky Gervais is no doubt a witty guy, and while his characters all seem to be immersed in small bubbles he often makes it work. But it’s when the story goes pear-shaped then the character can’t hold it together, and this is the major flaw of The Invention of Lying. It’s comfortable, but not confident in bursting out of its bubble.

With any film that centres on the truth, it’s going to be awkward. That’s certainly the case for writer Mark (Gervais), who goes through life as a loser. He unsuccessfully tries to win the affections of Anna (Jennifer Garner), who is materialistic in her spoken truths – as she adamantly puts it: ‘I can’t have ugly babies’. When life is looking more black-and-white than usual, something suddenly clicks in Mark’s brain as his mother is dying. He tells her the afterlife is a happy place. And this ‘un-truth’ sets the wheels in motion as he becomes a supposed expert on the afterlife and becomes aware about how to exploit his power. It’s definitely an interesting concept, and comes across as both funny and frustrating when Mark tries to explain the concept of a lie to other people. He’s a schmuck that no-one’s ever paid attention to, so what could be better revenge than passing on exclusive knowledge? The one-track mind of this alternate present is almost creepy in that no-one ever questions what anyone says. It seems there can’t be a concept of honesty if there isn’t the concept of a lie, so everyone accepts things as they are. Some think that’s the way today’s world is heading…

As The Invention of Lying moves forward, the romantic sub-plot continues. Mark realises he can win Anna’s heart if he opens her eyes to the world. It’s an extremely odd central relationship; for much of it it’s totally one-sided. When you throw in rival Brad (Rob Lowe) fighting for the girl, it’s every man for himself; Mark still struggles to rise above the comments made against him. Meanwhile, Anna’s progression is stunted and quite subtle, and these moments create the ‘aww’ moments of the film. The narration used by co-writer/director Gervais is amusing in the early parts, setting the scene well to paint a picture of the poor sod that needs any form of encouragement. While the theme of the lie’s consequences is never forgotten, the film drifts to more of a romance and less of a comedy in the second half. It’s a different turn to what you would expect, particularly from Gervais, and perhaps not to everyone’s tastes. However, the performances are accessible from a boastful cast. Jennifer Garner is great as Anna; cheeky but brutal, while Gervais does the bumbling fool like he knows how. Cameos come from everywhere, but Jonah Hill and Tina Fey particularly tease you.

Verdict:

The comedy is definitely there in The Invention of Lying, but a heavy romantic focus drags it down in parts. Still, there’s a decent amount of Gervais magic.

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